The Little River news., 1920-09-01

'f'''-' l''td~diltlF III ipo' ed you that time, didn't F" he added in English. Thought l would aim for your head, didn't you?"
 The blow temporarily paralyzed the assassin's hand he dropped the knife, and as he stopped to recover it with his left hand the young man, before retreating from Pop-eye, kicked Puck er-eye in the face and quite upset him.
 "Stop it" shouted Webster
 Pop-eye turned his head at the out cry. The man he was attacking feli into the position of swOrdsman en garde and thrust viciously with the ferrule at the face of the pop-eyed man, who, disregarding Webster's approach, seized the cane in his left hand and with a quick, powerful tug actually drew his victim toward him a foot be- fore the latter let go the stick.
 Before he could give ground again Pop-eye was upon him. He grasped the young man by the latter's left arm and held him. while he drew back for the awful disembowiling stroke. As his long arm sped forward the hook of John Stuart Mebster's heavy cane descended upon that flexed arm in the crook of the elbow, snagging 1t cleverly.
 The knife never reached it's destina- ton!
 You would, would you?" said Web ster reproachfully, and ierked the fel- low violently around. The man he had rescued promptly struck Pop-eye a terrible blow in the face with his left hand and broke loose from the grip that had so nearly been his undoing then Webster tapped the assassin a meditative tap or two on the top of his sinful head for good measure and to awaken in him some sense of the i'm propriety and futility of resistance, after which Webster turned to dis cuss a similar question of ethics with Pucker-eye.
 The scar-cheeked man was on his knees, groping groggily for his knife for he had received a severe kick un- der the chin, and for the nonce was far from dangerous. Stopping, Web ster picked up the knife; then with knife and cane grasped in his left hand he seized Pucker-eye by the nape with his right and jerked him to his feet. The assassin stood glowering at him in a perfect frenzy of brutish, in articulate fury.
 "Take the knife away from the other fellow before he gets active again." Webster called over his shoul- der. "Ill manage this rascal. We'll march them over to the market and turn them over to the police" He spoke in Spanish.
 "Thanks, ever so much, for my life, ' the young man answered lightly, and in English, "but where l come from 1t is not the fashion to settle these argu- ments in a court of law. To call an officer is considered unclublike; to shoot prisoner in this country is considered murder, and consequently have but one alternative and advise you, my good friend, to have little of the same. I'm going to run like the devil.'
 And he did He was in full flight before Webster could glance around, and in an instant he was lost to sight among the trees.
 ..That advice sounds eminently fair and reasonable" Webster yelled after him, and was about to follow when he observed that the young man had abandoned his pretty little silver chased walking stick.
 That's too nice little stick to leave to these brigands," he thought, and forthwith possessed himself of it and the pop-eyed mans knife, after Wh:ch he tarricd not upon the order of his going but went departing at top speed.
 The young man he had saved from being butchered was right. An en- tanglng alliance with the police was, decidedly, not to John Stuart Web ster'9 liking, for should he Aafortu- nately, form such an alliance, he would he haled into court as witness and perhaps miss the steamer to San Buenaventura.
 He had planned to spend an hour in the market. drink cup of cafe noir, smoke cigarette, and return to his hotel in time for leisurely breakfast, but his recent bout with grim reality had blunted the edge of romance. He ordered his driver to take him back to the hotel, sprang inside and con- graduated himself on his lucky escape.