The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-01-01

tE0te IOruS tHc puESueO Ouc uubhcu WI
another flight Of stairs to ind himself
In garret filled with boxes and mi1i
cellaneous furniture. Quickly tossin
the heaviest Of these against the dood
he threw his weight upon his barf1s]
Cade and grimly waited. n
His respite was BRIEF In the han
without sounded the patter Of bari
! feet and the next instant there was ~
great heave upon the DOOR. Again y
! threw all his strength in opposition
I theirs and 20 great was his effort. Al
so greatly was he assisted by "a
heavy furniture before him, that afteq
moments futile struggle the onS
outside relnxed their efforts and tn
pressure ceased. Taking advantaaH
! Of the opportunity. John wrenched
| leg from tnble and mid II beside hil
for instant use.
Finding themselves haffled In this dt3
rectiOn. the Hindus resOrted to strey3
agem. Securing ladder. one of the4N
number placed II against the outside 0f
the building and mounted to the roo&i
Then creeping along until he was OWL
| n window OF the garret, he made rop1
| fast to Il chimney AMI began lowering
himself. At the signal of Shere- Kha0S
-vho was watching NIL from the groundl
| those IN the hnll again attacked TIE
barricaAed room. As the lone defenoi
sr Gas forced to pit his strength
against the assault. the Hindu on The
rope swung himself to n window Of the
room and lifted it.
! WIFI In the room the door was Slow
ly giving way before the combined at-
tack. Flashing IL glance over his shoq)-
der, the defender saw the man enter
Ing the room behind him and thus
found himself confronted by two evils.
Either he must lie attacked from be-
hind and be unable to defend himself.
or else he mast leave the barricade
and confront this new foe. Choosing
the chance which he thought most
promising. he abandoned his showing,
leaped to the window and sent the in
conner flying to the ground by II ter
ric blow upon the jaw. As he turned
to again fncc the door, his barricade
came tumbling down with n crash and
his nssailants swarmcd into the room.
He brnced himself to meet them.
Rainface, still considerable dis
tnnce away. saw the Hindu hanging
from the rope outside the window.
then caught q glimpse Of John as he
sent the oriental flying to the ground.
Knowing that his friend was In dire
distress he redOuhled his efforts.
Throwing open the door OF the house,
and guided by the upr0ar above. he
went bounding up the stairs like an en-
rnged cntaniount.
Within the room John was putting
up the fight Of his life against hopeless
odds. As his foremost antagonist
leaped the barrier which had helped
hold the door the lone defender met
him with q blow in the face, that sent
him flying into a corner ~ though
thrown from n catapult, then made
jump for tho table leg which he had
laid aside for close work such n this.
But before he could reach II q 1.-THE
body wrapped itself serpentlike about
him, and from all sides blows fell upon
him like wIntery rnin. Protecting his
head ms best he could. and using his
fists right and left. for moment he
bent them of. But no mortal man
could long have endured such an at
tack single handed. and with q hnaI
|
flying against the side Of the building
he went down beneath the mass as IL
stng Is dragged down by wolves. BE-
lieving that his end Ind come and
that further resistance was futile lie
still fought doggctlly on. 80
Rainface. dnshing into the room, ar
rived there just as his friend was
pulled to the floor. Gun in hand he
went leaplng about them. hut so swift
| ly did the struggling mass roll and
| change that he dared nut shoot lest
the heavy bullet OF his forty five
should pass through the body Of an
enemy and also kill the man whom he
| SO much desired to save. Then sTd
denly seeing his chance he raised his
weapon.
| Shere-Khan, bursting into the room
just at this instunt. took in the scene
at n glance. At the very instant the
Indian was in the act Of pulln. The
trigger, 1.-The Tiger swuag heavy
club upon the red mans head. and Old
Rainface dropped like n stunned tx--
going down as had his ancestors, fight
Ing bravely and in the midst of battle.
John also had been beaten into sense
lessness, and battered and torn the
unconscious pair were dragged to
lower room and pinIoned. ShereKhan
spoke:
"We'll waste no more time on these
pariah dogs. Get the sacks"
From n closet the farmer brought
forth two long gunny bags, and into
these the senseless victims were thrust
Raising them upon their shoulders,
Tonr OF the Hindus Carried them to
the. edge OF the sheer bluff which over
looked the sea. For u moment they