Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-29
oHAPTER xn1-toontinued).


window At short distance she saw the
ngle, and at its edge what she was
~ was the figure of q man crouching
the long grass.
ar, Theriere |" she cried, quick They
Killing Byrne !" Then she turned back
70 the room, and, with the shortsword
hich she still grasped in her hand, sprang
tne side Of the muclSer, who was Offering
life to save her.
Byrne cast a Mortified glance at the figure
shunE by his side.
Fer de love o. Mike, beat 1t !" he cried
Duokl Git out o. here i'
nut the girl only smiled up bravely into
face and kept her place beside him.
rnucker tried to push her behind him
one hand while he fought with the
= but she drew away from him to
up again a little farther off
e Samurai were pushing them closely
Three men at time were reaching
8N the mucker with their longswords. He
as bleeding from numerous wounds, but
his feet lay two dead warriors, while
4 Third crawled away with mortal wound
4 his abdomen
Barbara Harding devoted her energies to
hrustlng and cutting at those who tried to
ess past the mucker that they might
ke him from behind. The battle could
last long, so unequal were the odds
saw the room beyond filled with surg
WaIElOTst all trying TO lOTCe lnelT way
Mthn reach of the great white man who
ssttled like demigod of old in the close,
Il esTk evil warren of the Damio.
she shot a side glance at the man.
ne was wonderful The fire of battle
sad transformed him. No longer was he
ne sullen, sulky, hulltlng brute she had
s. sEst known upon the Halfmoon. Instead
nuge, muscular, alert, he lowered above his
Z pygmy antagonists, his gray eyes cleaning
] half smile on his strong lips
she saw the longsword, welded awk-
Eardly in his unaccustomed hands, beat
4 eown the weapons of his skilled foemen by
s NE very ferocity of It's hurting attack She
4 taw II pass through a mans shoulder, cleaV-
mg bone and muscle as they had been
h sneese, until 1t stopped two-thirds across
US Victims body, cutting him almost in two.
4 She saw a Samurai leap past her cham
lzpon's guard in an attempt to close upon
8hlm with a dagger. and when she had
2fushed forward to thwart the fellows de-
oxlEn she had seen Byrne swing his mighty
eyF to the warriors face with blow
q ht might well have felled an OK
Then another leaped into closer quarters,
and she saw Byrne at the same instant bury
his sword in the body of dark-visaged
devil who looked more Malay than Jap.
| AS the stricken man fell she saw the hilt
,pf the mucker's blade wrenched from his
grip by the body of his foe.
The samurai who had closed upon Byrne
at that instant found his enemy unarmed,
and with howl of delight he struck full
at the broad chest with his long, thin
dagger.
But Billy Byrne was not to be dispatched
30 easily With his left forearm he struck
up the hand that welded the menacing
blade, and then, catching the fellow by
the shoulder, swung him around, grasped
hin. about the waist, and, lifting him above
his head, hurled him in the faces of the
swordsmen who were pressing through the
narrow doorway.
Almost simultaneously a spear shot
through a tiny opening in the ranks before
Billy Byrne, and with little gasp of dis
may the huge fellow pitched forward upon
his face. At the same instant a shot rang
but behind Barbara Harding, and Theriere
leaped past her to stand across the body
of the fallen mucker
With the sound of the shot Samurai
sank to the floor, dead. The others, un.
accustomed to firearms, drew back in dis
may
Again Theriere fired pointblank into the
crowded room, and this time two men fell,
struck by the same bullet.
Once more the warriors retreated. and
with an exultant yell Theriere followed up
his advantage by charging menacingly upon
them. They stood for a moment, then
turned and fled from the hut.
WHeH DdCh toward
Barbara Harding he found her kneeling
Beside the mucker.
els he dead?" asked the Frenchman.
mo. Can we lift him together and get
him through that Window"
''It is the only way" replied Theriere,
sand we must try it."
They seized upon the huge body and
dragged it to the far end of the room;
but, despite their best efforts, the two
were not able to lift the great inert mass
Of flesh and bone and muscle and pass 1t
through the tiny opening.
what shall we do?" cried Theriere.
I'VE must stay here with him." replied
Barbara Harding. II could never desert
/ man who has fought SO noble fight for
ne while a breath OF life remained in him."
Theriere groaned
"Nor l." he said; but you-he has given
bis life to save yours Should you render
bis sacrifice of no avail?"
"I cannot go alone" she answered sim.
ply. "and I know that you will not leave
him. There is no other way-we must
stay"
At this juncture the mucker opened his
syes
"Who hit me?" he murmured. "Jes' show
me de big stiff."
Theriere could not repress smile. Bar
bara Harding again knelt beside the man.
"No one hit you, Mr.. Byrne," she said.
''You were struck by spear and are badly
wounded"
Billy Byrne opened his eyes little wider,
turning them until they rested on the beau.
tiful face of the girl so close to his.
"Mr. Byrne" he calculated In disgust
"Ferget it. Wat do youse tink I am, one
OF dose paper-collar dudes?"
Then he sat up Blood was flowing from
; wound in his chest, saturating his shirt
and running slowly to the earth floor
There were two flesh wounds in his head
one above the right eye and the other ex-
tending entirely across the left cheek from
below the eye to the lobe of the ear These
he had received earlier In the fracas. From
crown to heel the man was mass of
blood.
Through his crimson mask he looked at
The pile of bodies in the far end OF the
Teom and a broad grin cracked the dried
blood about his mouth.
"Wot we done to dem chinks was sure
! plenty, kiddo." he remarked to Miss
Harding, and then he came to his feet,
ssemingly as strong as ever, shaking him
self like a great bull. "But l guess it's
lucky youse butted in when yeh did, euI."
he added. turning to Therlere. "Dey Jest
about had me down fer de long count"
Barbara Harding was looking at the man
IN wlde-eyed amusement. A moment be-
fore she had been expecting him moment
srily to breathe his last-now he was