The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-09-01

Leblanc, sending him staggering; the
two clawed at each other and fell to
the floor.
AS Hilary released Pierre he caught
sight of Louis face peering across
Pierre's shoulder. The fall of the two
men left Louis Hilary's only immedi-
ate opponent. Hilary hesitated; In
spite of his threat, spoken to Simeon,
he hesitated to attack man much his
inferior in size and strength. But at
that moment he saw Louis right arm
drawn back, and the CLEAN of the
knife he held. Before the upward
thrust came he stepped back, pulled
the revolver from his pocket, and
brought the butt crashing down on
Louis head
'%That's what I promised your he
shouted.
The little man, instantly drenched
with blood from the jagged scalp
wound, staggered, let the knife fall,
screamed, and fled. stumbling from
side to side, with hands appraised above
his head, toward the door Louis had
had enough; he had been meant to be
the bait of the trap, and now he had
been caught in it. Blinded by the
blood that poured over his face, he
Numbered into one of the window en-
brasures, and his appraised hands
brought down the lamp, which fell
crashing upon the wooden floor, and
fortunately went out
Still screaming, Louis found the
door and tried to push back the bolt.
But before he could do so Hilary was
on the spot He pushed it back him.
self and, taking Louis by the Shout
ders, he pushed him with all his
strength into Baptiste's shanty.
The room was empty. The word
had evidently been passed about that ii
would be advisable Nor one to make
oneself scarce in view of what was
going on in the stable. But a group
of men were gathered about the door
at the entrance, peering in; and the
sudden apparition of Louis, covered
with blood, and Hilary behind him,
proved too strong for their discretion.
They came running forward, yelling.
Hilary could have broken through
them and gained the safety Of his
rooms, short distance away. Even
the hazard in such a course was less
than what he had faced in the stable
But the idea never occurred to him.
He was fighting mad; he had come to
st. Boniface to fight, and he meant tc
fight his quarrel out. He turned.
He heard Leblanc and Pierre run.
ming across the stable floor. All his
calculations, which were subconscious
were made in fractional seconds that
night. So, now, he calculated that the
pair would reach the door a half-sec
ond before the men in the shanty
They would emerge confident, imagin.
ing him to be in flight. He waited
Louis laundering flight, which took
him into the midst of the lumbermen
stopped them in their attack. just as
Hilary had calculated Ii would; at the
same moment Leblanc's head and
shoulders became visible around the
door. Hilary. waiting for that. jabbed
upward viciously with his right. lie
blanc howled and fell backward
knocking Pierre off his balance In
turn; and before they had recovered
from the surprise Hilary had stepped
back into the stable and bolted the
door behind him.
He saw their wonder and the dawn.
Ing fear In Leblanc's face, covered with
blood, and Pierre's Infatuated scowl
but they came on at him again. craft.
lily now, crouching. their knives drawn
back for the stab. A revolver, even
when loaded, is OF bttle use against
knife, welded by an expert at close
quarters. The men were attacking
from opposite sides, too. They were
watching each movement that Hilary
made. He estimated that they would