The Oklahoma miner. [volume] (Krebs, Okla.) 1912-192?, 1920-02-12
"And fl refuse ~


PEELED to shut your mouth for you.
Self-preservation is the first law
! looked about at them both, scarce
ly able to distinguish clearly even
their outlines i'm the dense gloom. The
seriousness of the situation, coupled
with my hClplossness, 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 I 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" / burst FORTH "Now you
listen to a plain word from me. If
that was intended as an offer, | 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 a slight in
teresr I'm the affair, but from now on |
am going to fight you fellows with
every weapon l possess"
Kirby chuckled, apparently greatly
amused.
quite glad, l am sure, for the dec
laration of war. Fighting has always
agreed with me. Might l ask the ma
ture Of those weaponsT
THAT remains for you to discover" 3"
l 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, l 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, th,a he would
permit me to pass without opposition
certainly without the slightest resort
TO violence. The action 1f 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
/ endeavored to break away, to shout
an alarm, but was already too late.
| Caryer's hands closed remorselessly Is
on my throat, and, when ! managed to
strike out madly with one free fist, the
butt of Kirbys pistol descended on my
head, so laCerating my scalp the drip
ping blood blinded my eyes. The blow
partially stunned me, and ] half fell,
! clutching at the rail, yet dImly con
sClous that the two stralning men
were uplifting my useless body, Carver
swearing viCiously as he helped to
thrust me outward over the wooden
bar. The next instant l fell, he sneer.
ing CaCkle of Kirby's laugh of triumph
echoing in my ears until drowned in
the splash as l struck the black water
below.
l 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 stlll 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 q tonic. reylvIug
"a 81