The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1919-10-02

Self-preservation is the first law"
/ looked about at them both, scarce
ly able to distinguish clearly even
their outlines in the dense gloom. The
seriousness Of the situation, coupled
with my helplessness, and inability TO
achieve the object proposed, was very
evident. 1t might, under the circum-
stances, have been the part of wisdom
for me to have sought some means of
compromise. but / was young, and hot,
fiery blood swept through my veins.
The words of Kirby stung me with
their breath of insult-his sneering, in
solent offer to pay me to remain still.
"You must rank me as one Of your
own kind" l burst forth. "Now you
listen to a plain word from me. If
that was intended as an offer, l refuse
it. You. and your confederate, have
coolly robbed Beaucaire, and propose
to get away with the spoils. Perhaps
you will, but that end will not be ac-
complished through any assistance of
mine. At first / only felt q slight in
terest in the affair, but from now on l
all SOlllS w hSil Nou ltilONo Will
every weapon l possess"
Kirby chuckled, apparently greatly
amused.
Quite glad, / am sure, for the dec
laration of war. Fighting has always
agreed with me Might / ask the ma
ture of those weapons?"
"That remains for you TO discover"
| CALCULATED sharply. exasperated by
his evident contempt. Carver, take
your dirty hands off of me-"
In spite of the fact of their threat.
the ready pistol pressing against my
ribs, the grip of Carver's fingers at my
throat, / did not anticipate any actual
assault. That either would really dare
injure me seemed preposterous. In
deed my impression was, that Kirby
felt such indifference toward my at
tempt to block his plan, that he would
permit me to pass without opposition
certainly without the slightest resort
to violence. The action of the two was
so swift. so concerted, as though at
some secret signal, that, almost before
| realized their purpose, they held me
helplessly struggling, and had forced
me back against the low rail. Here
l endeavored to break away, to shout
an alarm, but was already too late.
Carver's hands closed remorselessly
on my throat. and, when l managed to
strike out madly with one free fist, the
butt of Klrby's pistol descended on my
head, so decorating my scalp the drip
ping blood blinded my eyes. The blow
partially stunned me, and / half fell,
%clutching at the rail, yet dimly con
scious that the two straining men
were uplifting my useless body. Carver
swearing viciously as he helped to
thrust me outward over the wooden
bar. The next instant / fell, the sheer
ing cackle of Kirby's laugh of triumph
echoing in. my ears until drowned i'm
the splash as l struck the black water
below.
/ came back to the surface dazed
and weakened, yet sufficiently con-
scious to make an intelligent struggle
for life. The over-hang of the rapidly
passing boat still concealed me from
the observation of those above on the
deck, and. the advantage of permitting
them to believe that the blow on my
head had resulted in drowning, to-
gether with the knowledge that / must
swiftly get beyond the stroke of that
deadly wheel, flashed instantly through
my brain. 1t was like a tonic, reviving
every energy. Waiting only to inhnle
one deep breath Of air, 1 plunged back
once more into the depths, and swan
strongly under water. The effort
proved successful. for. when / again
ventnred TO emerge, gasping and ex-
hausted, the little Warrior had swept
past, and become merely a shapeless
outline, barely visible above the sur
face of the river.
Slowly treading water. my lips held
barely above the surface, / drew In
deep draughts Of cool night air, NV
mind becoming more active as hope re-
turned. The blow l had received was
a savage one. and panied duly, but the
cold water In which l had been i'm
mersed had caused the bleeding to
cease, and likewise revived all my fac
ulties. The very fact that no effort was
made to stop was sufficient proof that
Throckmorton In the wheelhouse re-
NAMED unconscious of what had oc-
Cured on the deck below. NV fate
might never be discovered, or suspect.
ed. ! was alone. submerged in the
great river, the stars overhead alone
: piercing the night shadows. A log
swept by me, white bursts Of spray II
Illuminating Its sides, and l grappled II
. gratefully, my fingers finding grip on
{ the sodden bark. Using this for par
tial support, and ceasing to battle 80
desperately against the down-sweep of
! the current, I managed finally to work
my way into an eddy, struggling on
ward until my feet at last ..ct hed
bottom at the end Of a low. out-crop.
I ping point of sand. This proved to be
a mere spit. but I waded ashore, water
: streaming from my clothing, conscious
8 now Ct such complete exhaustion that
q I sank instantly outstretched upon the
!. sand. gasping painfully for breath
0 every muscle and nerve ~throbtins.
AA MI.