The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-03-06

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AoAAoAsoAAoAAOA koAko
lumbermen who were in his way aside
seized the bottle from his hand. AM
dashed it to the floor. His movemen
and the ensuing action were so swift
that it was only after their compile
ton that all the company awakened t.
his presence.
He turned toward the plank table
| which had been nailed across q recess:
for bar counter. On this were {
number of bottles, all of brandy or cir
illicitly distilled and struggled up The
river. On the floor were two hogs
heads. A quantity of glasses newly
bought, and still containing fragments
Of the straw in which they had beer
packed, stood on a packing case neal
by
Hilary swept his arm along the
plank, knocking off the bottles, which
| crashed to the floor, streWng it witt
| broken glass. A score of streams be
gan to filter between the edges of the
| boards, uniting in the depressions The
stencil of the spirits rose into the air
He kicked the hogsheads over, and
they added their contents to the pool
With another sweep he struck down
the glasses. Then the lumbermen
rushed at him, cursing, Infatuated. The
foremost hesitated as they came with
in reach of his arm, however, remem-
bering Pierre's discontinue. The mo-
mentary delay was fatal to them. Hill
airy struck out with all his force, fell
ing them, or sending them staggering
backward against those behind, and
clearing a passage in twinkling to-
ward Louis, with whom alone he had
business at that moment.
Louis was coward unlike his
brother and Pierre, perhaps pardon
ably, on account Of his physical weak
ness. AS Hilary grasped him by the
shoulders the liquor seller, who made
up In adroitness for what he lacked In
strength, twisted like an eel, dived
under the arms Of those about him,
and rushed toward the rear entrance,
shouting something as he ran.
w nat II was uiu hOt hDOWs
He perceived dimly that the mob fell
back, except for few who, unable to
restrain themselves, surged about him
like a pack of wolves, snarling, and
trying to thrust at him with the knives
which they had drawn from their
leather belt sheaths. Hilary, fighting
like mailman, sent them smashing to
the floor, cleared his way again, and
made for Louis, who was just open
ing the back door. He grasped at him,
but Louis was just a second too quick.
He darted through, and the door,
thrown back violently, struck Hilary
upon the forehead. The next instant
Hilary passed through the doorway in
pursuit.
The shanty which Baptiste had once
occupied had formerly been part of
large structure used by the mill for
storing machinery. At the back, and
contiguous with 1t, had been the old
mill stables. The door connecting the
two places had been nailed up, but
Duval had opened it that morning In
the course of his preparations for Hill
ary's advent.
AS Hilary entered the stable the
door closed behind him, and he heard
the bolt shot. The yells Of the lumber
men grew faint 1t was only then Hill.
airy realized that he had run into
trap.
The stable contained Louis, who haC
posted himself within the stall imme
diately opposite the entrance, ano
grinned at Hilary defiantly. Between
the two stood Simeon Duval, gro
tesque grin upon his scholarlike fea-
lures. The man who had bolted the
door was Leblanc, and Black Pierre
stood beside him.
The four, executing flanking move
ment simultaneously, advanced and
took up their position between Hilary
and the door. Nobody spoke, but
Simeon Duval took off his spectacles
quite methodically, folded them in
their case, and placed it back in his
pocket Standing with his back close
enough TO the wall of one of the horse
boxes to be able to prevent an attack |
from behind, Hilary watched the four
They had got him
there to fight and there was nothing
ne wanted more, even against the lot |
If them. He half regretted having |
irawn his cartridges, but he was con-
,ciOus of no sense Of fear whatever |