The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1917-04-26
CHAPTER XVII.
Tho Fight In the study

OuCe IN Aih room Eaton TOOK
from bis oycrcoat n broastdrlil an
automatic pistol with three clips
o, cartridges. an electric fashllght,
Jimmy" and a phlRl OF nitro
giycerinn. Thos. hs secrcted on
bis person.
curtain aud looked out On the
lake. half q mile out. he noticed a
boa; without lights.
when all had grown still be re.
moved hts shoes and crcp, softly
down stairs. out upon the lawn and
up 10 a window OF the blind mans
study. To hia surprise Il opened
easily lie parted the curtains. Ia.
Eido y man vas moving about.
flashing an electric torch.
Eaton drew pistol and stepped N.
10 the room. Now another torch
flashed There were two men there
besidc himself still unafraid. Pa.
ton crcpt forward notselessly. Just
then a streak Of light fell on the
face 81 one OF tho men Eaton
stopped as n struck.
Ills instsnta giimpse OF that face
Rstouuded. stunned. stupefied him
lie could not have seen that man
The fact was inposEihlel He must
have been mad. Then came the
sound oi tho voice II vas he.
And nov a Wild. savage throe o,
passion seized Eaton. his pulses
leaped and hc gulped and choked.
The man Ia tho dark was no whom
Eaton would have circled tho world
TO catch and destroy. Eaton leaped
forward
Al tho Same instant tho light
fell upon Eaton.
Look OUT" tho other man cried
10 his companion
The man toward whom Eaton
rushed dlt not have time to switch
of his light: he dropped Il in.
stead: and as Eaton sprang for
him. he crouchcd. Eaton. as he
struck forward. found nothing: but
below his knees. Eaton fclt a mans
powerful arms tackling him: as he
struggled 10 free himself. a swift,
savage lunge lifted him from his
feet he was thrown and hurled
backwards.
IA ho struck tho floor. his pistol
shot off. the flash OF flame squirt
ed toward the ceiling Instantly
the grip below his knees was
loosed tho man who had tackled
him and hurled him back had re-
coiled In tho darkness
A.,s
orouched and crept about, aiming
his pistol in the direction In which
no supposed the other men must
be The other two men In tho
room also waited. Invisible and
silent.
Eaton now was wildly, exultans-
~ excited: but his mind was clear
as he reckoncd his situation and
chances. lilo had crossed the Pa.
cific. the Continent. he had
schemcd and risked everything
with the mere hope OF getting into
this room TO discover evidence
with which to demand from the
world righting OF the wrong which
had driven him as n fugitive for
five years; and here he found the
man who was the cause OF II all.
before him In the same room a few
PAGES away In the dark
Eaton knew now that this was
he who must have been directing
the attacks upon him. Here was
his enemy whom he must destroy
II he himself were not first de.
stroyed.
Eaton suddenly realized that his
left shoulder was numb.
II seemed certain that tho noise
alarm. Basil Santoine, as Eaton
knew, slept above; nurse must
be waiting on duty somewhere
near SO It could not last much
longer now-this deadlock in the
dark-the two facing one. and
none OF them daring to move.
Eaton had moved, warlly: n re-
volver flashed before him. In.
stantly Eaton's pistol flashed back.
In front OF him, the flame flashed
again. and another squirt OF fire
spat at one side. Eaton fired back
at this-he was PROSTATE on the
floor now blood was flowing
down his face. He fired again and
again The flash of the firing from
the other two revolvers had
stopped. tho other two must have
emptied their magazines as we'll
as he.
Eaton listened. overhead now.
he heard an almost imperceptible
pattering-the sound OF bare
footed man crossing tho floor.