American Fork citizen. [volume] (American Fork, Utah) 1912-1979, 1920-03-27
CHAPTER TX.
The Trap.

Louis Duval. uncorking bottle NJ
gin. Their eyes met across tho boods
OIL the lumbermen before Hilary's pres.
ence was known.
lie STOOD still for a moment. taking
IN the scene. He was family conscious
that the door at the far end NJ tho
room had closed. but this percention
niue no impression on him. He felt,
alone though he was, that he was nh.
solute master of the situation.
lie strobe up to Louis. pushing tho
Iulnbermen who were in his way aside
seized the bottle from his hind and
dashed 1t to the floor. His movement
ana the ensuing action were so swift
that 1t was only after their connie.
tion that all the company awakened IN
his presence.
He turned toward the plank tab,e
which had been nailed across recess
Tor a bar counter. On this were n
NUMBER OF bottles, all of brandy or gin
illicitly distilled and Struggled I'M tbe
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 been
packed. stood on packing case near
by.
Hilary swept his arm along the
plank. knocking off the bottles, which
crashed to the floor, strewing It with
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 Iumbermen
rushed Mt him. curs.ng, Infatuated. The
foremost hesltated as they came with.
In reach of his arm, however. remem-
bering Plerre's discontinue. The mo-
mentary delay was fatal to them. Hill
ary struck out with all his force. fell
Ing them, or sending them staggering
against those behind. and
n passage In twinlling to-
ward Louis. with whom alone he had
business ut 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,
something rs he ran.
What II was Hilary did not know.
He perceived dimly that the mob fell
back, except for a few who. unable to
restrain themselves. surged about him
like n 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 a 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 ut him,
but Louis was just 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 Baptlste had once
occupied had formerly been a part OF
a large structure used by the mill for
storing machinery. At the back. and
contiguous with II, had been the old
mill stables. The door connecting the
two places had been nailed up, but
Duval had opened 1t 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. II 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, ane
grinned Mt Hilary defiantly. Between
the two stood Simeon Duvnl, a gro
tesque grin upon his scholariiRe iea'
lures. The man who had bolted the
door was Leblanc, and Black Plerre
stood beside him.
The four, executing thanking move
ment simultaneously advanced ana
took I'D their position between Hilary
and the door. Nobody spoke, Dut
Simeon Duvnl took of his spectacies
quite methodlcally, folded them IN
their case, and placed II back In MS
pocket. Standing with his back close
enough to the wall Of one of the morse
boxes TO be able to prevent an attack
from behind, Hilary watched the iour
contemptuously. They had got MN
there TO fight and there was nothing
he wanted more, even against the lot
of them. He half regretted having
drawn his cartridges, but he was con-
scious of no sense of fear whatever
He kent his right hand lightly against
the pocket In which the revolver lay
Il might be useful for intimidation OF
even for self-defense.
"Well we got you, Meestalr Askew,"
sneered Simeon. "Now you listen mere
We're peaceful men an we hate trou'
hle We don't want to hurt you u you