The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1921-02-24

turned with her handkerchief tn her
eyes and continued on her way 10 the
cathedral. Webster heard her sob
olng az she stumbled blindly nv. and
ne was distressed about her for all
me world loves a lover and John
stuart Webster was no execution to
this universal rule.
BY George, this is pretty tough"
ne reflected. THAT young fellow
treated that girl with as much gentle
ness and courtesy as any gentleman
should and I'm for him and against
tnis idea OF corporal punishment
Don't you worry, Title. my dear. I'm
going to horn into this game myself
II II goes too far"
The two dusky skulkers ahead OF
nm, having come to another cross
pain, turned into II and came out on
the main path IN the rear Of the Young
man. Webster noticed that the pair
were still walking on the grass. He
padded gently along behind them.
The four were now RAPIDLY an
preaching the old French market, and
the steadily rising babel of voices
speaking in French, Italian Spanish.
Creole patois and Choctaw. was suffi-
cient to have drowned the slight noise
OF the pursuit, even had the young
mans mind not been upon other
things. and the interest of the two
Central Americans centered upon their
quarry, TO the exclusion of any thought
Of possible interruption.
Webster felt instinctively that the
two men would rush and make a con-
certed attack from the rear. He
smiled.
I'm just fool you two hombres
whole lot" he thought and STOPPING.
! picked up small stone. On the in
slant the two men, having approached
within thirty feet of their quarry.
made rush for him.
! Their charge was swift, but though
IT was, the little stone which John
Stuart Webster hurled was swifter. 1t
struck the young man fairly between
| the shoulderblades with force suffi-
cient to bring him out of his senti-
mental reverie with jerk, as 1t were
| He whirled. saw the danger that
threatened him. and-sprang to meet
! it.
Bravo yelled Webster, and ran to
his aid. for he had seen now that II
was to be knife work. Tragedy in
stead of melodrama.
The man with the puckered eve
! nj in, NTH
apparent to Webster that here was
work TO his liking. The young man
raised his light cane, but Pucker-eye
did not hesitate. He merely threw up
his left forearm to meet the expected
blow aimed at his head, lunged for
ward and slashed vciously at the
young mans abdomen. The latter
drew back a step. doubled like jack
knife. and brought his cane down
viciously across the knuckles of his
assailant's right hand.
$50 1t is thou, son of a pig" ne
called pleasantly in Spanish. II fool
ed you that time, didn't II" he added
in English. Thought l would aim
for your head, didn't your"
The blow temporarily paralyZed the
assassln's hand he dropped the knife,
and as he stopped to recover 1t with
his left hand. the young man, before
retreating from Pop-eye, kicked Puck
er-eye in the face and quite upset him.
stop ii !" shouted Webster.
Pop-eye turned his head at the out
cry. The man he was attacking fell
into the position of a 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 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 latters 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 Webster's heavy cane
descended upon that fiexed arm in the
crook of the elbow. snagging II
cleverly.
The knife never reached its destina.
ton
"You would, would your said Web
ster reproachfully, and jerked the fel'
low violently around The man he had
rescued promptly struck Pop-eye q
terrible blow In the face with his left
hand and broke loose from the griI
that had so nearly been his undoing
then Webster tapped the assassin
medtative tap or two on the top of his
sinful head for good measure and t6
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 witt
Pucker-eye.
The scar-cheeked man was on MS
knees, cropping groggily for his knife
for he had received a severe kick un
der the chin. and for the nonce wal
far from dangerous. STOPPING. Wen
ster picked up the knife; then VIII
knife and cane grasped in his lef
hand he seized Pucker-eye by the nap'