The Holbrook news., 1921-07-01

II 4AA6AACAC0 6A4y WAO no reply.
 ''Well, by Godl you better be. Get tbe horses, JOes I'll fetch her along, all right"
 Shelby strengthened up. In spite of the odds, he must act now, or never. Yet, before he could take a step for ward, a single shot rang out sharply. He saw Macklin fling up his arms, and reel backward, his body striking the half-open door, before it crashed to the floor, and lay motionless.
 The impact of Macklin's body had flung the door wide open, leaving Shel- by fully exposed to view. For an in- stant, however, the startled and be- wildered Laud failed to note his re- vealment against the darkness of that interior. He had leaped back instant ly to the protection of the wall, and, gun in hand, crouched there with eyes fixed on the broken window op- posite. Shelby was swift to take ad- vantage of his surprise. Wherever the shot had come from, whoever had | fired it, his concealment was no longer possible. There must be no hesitancy, no delay. He stepped across the mo- tionless body, with weapon flung grim ly forward.
 ''Hands up, Joel Put them up first before you turn around. Stop that! Don't try any tricks on me. Now stand there-Olga."
 "Yes.'
 "Take that gun out of his hand; there is another in his belt; get that also. That's right; now come over here; you understand firearms"
 'Yes, of course" wonderingly, "1 know how to shoot"
 q imagined so; Calkins would have taught you. Keep this fellow covered, and let him have it if he makes any effort to break away. Watch him closely, while I rip up that blanket, and tie him up."
 He left her with the gun steadily pointed at Lauds head, the fellow cursing, with hands up, his angry eyes following every movement. He was desperate, maddened by sudden helplessness, with the sneaking feroci- ty of a wolf, yet was temporarily held motionless by the deadly peril. Shel- by stripped the ragged blanket from off the dead bodies under the bench, and began hastily to rip it apart. The black, bloated face of Slagin stared upward, and Indian Joe saw 1t for the first time, a sudden spasm of terror causing him to burst forth:
 My Godl That's Hank SlaginI"
 "Sure it is; he got his, an you'll get yours if you drop those hands, you cur. Turn around now, and stop"
 Laud obeyed, his face ugly and threatening, and Shelby took a step closer, the strip of blanket in his hands, his revolver thrust back into his belt. What Indian Joe saw will never be known; perhaps a slight wavering in the eyes of the girl, per haps an instant lowering of her gun. But it was enough. All his hate and treachery drove him to a desperate chance. With the maddened leap of wild beast, he sprang upon Shelby, gripped him fiercely by the throat, and the two went headlong to the floor Olga fired, but without aim, missing them both, and dare not pull the trigger again, so tightly were the men grappled, as they rolled back and forth in frenzied effort to obtain mas tery. Shelby, taken completely by surprise, was at a disadvantage, his throat crushed by sinewy hands, his loosened revolver flung half across the room. He could only struggle to break the hold of his antagonist, roll ing over and over, and forcing the fel- lows head back with every ounce of strength he could bring into play. They were not unevenly matched, the two-Shelby the younger, and perhaps the stronger; but Laud a skilled fight CT, hard as nails, and ready to resort to any trick. Moreover, he knew what he had set out to accomplish, and bent every effort to prevent the fright ened girl from getting a shot at him. He hung on, his straining hands, like a wise, twisting tighter and tighter Shelby's shirt ban,l, careless of any in- jury to himself so that he kept the body of the latter in protection be- tween him and Olga's revolver. Yet, with every move, every straining whirl of their bodies, he gained an inch nearer the open door. He fought like an animal, sinking his teeth into Shelby's flesh, and driving his knees into his body. It was silent, bitter fighting, every muscle strained to the utmost, and the squaw man won. They knocked over the bench, and crashed out through the partially open door, rolling down the single step into the weeds Laud landed on top, his fin gers still clutched on Shelby's throat, | the latter half unconscious. Crazed, 1 maddened as he was, the one desire to escape overcame his eagerness to kill, and Indian Joe, cursing, struck | once at the upturned face, leaped to his feet and plunged into the shelter of the weeds. Shelby, gasping pain fully for breath, scarcely yet fully | realizing what had occurred, lay mo- tionless but for the quivering of his | limbs.
 Indeed, he had scarcely forced open | his eyes when Olga was beside him.
 "You-you are alive? He did not | kill you?'
 He endeavored to smile, lifting him. self upon one elbow.
 "No, no; am all right" he gasped. | ''The fellow got my throat, and I ! couldn't break his hold. The treach-