Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-31
By FRANK l.. PACKARD
(AUTHOR or THE MIRACLE MAN')
Copyright, 1921, bv Public Ledger Company

one of tho gang. They had TO get rid
Of the police. In the person of Speen, TO
cover their own trail again before they
got him, Dave Henderson. And they,
too. had thought him drunk. and an
easy prey. with Spccn unconscious from
quarrel that even Speen, when ne
recovered, would never connect with It's
real purpose, they meant to kidnap him,
Dave Henderson, and get him away in
the confusion without any of the In
nocent bystanders in the place knowing
what was going on. That was why the
lights had gone off-tbat man he had
seen running around the upper end OF
the room--hc remembered now-the man
had come in just behind the bruiser--
that accounted for the lights-they
wouldn't dare shoot-he had that ad.
vantage--dead. he WASH t any good to
thousand-dollars.
lie was choking. Instead Of arms,
steel fingers had sunk into his throat.
He lunged out with all his strength.
His fist met something that. though it
yielded slightly, brought brutal twinge
of pain across his knuckles. His fist
shot out again,s whipped to its mark
with everything that was In him behind
the blow and II was the bruiser' 3
face he hit. lie hit it again Snd over
the mad fury that was upon him, he
know an unholy JOY as his blows crashed
home.
The steel fingers around his throat
relaxed and fell away. He staggered to
his feet.
A voice from somewhere close at
hand spoke hoarsely:
"Scrag him, Mugsy. Sec that he's
knocked cold before we carry him
out ~
There was no answer from the floor.
Dave Henderson's lips were no longer
twisted in u smile, they were thinned
and straight; he knew why there was
no answer from the floor He crouched,
gathering himself for a spring. Dark,
shadowy forms were crowding in
around him. There was only one chance
the door now, the rear door. and the
lane Voices growled and cursed, seem
ingly almost in his-cars. They had
him hemmed against the bar without
knowing it, as they clustered around the
spot where they expected he was being
strangled into Inconsistencies on the
| floor.
"NIugsy, dye hear! Damn you, dye
hear! Why don't you
Dave Henderson launched himself
forward A wild yell went up. Hands
clutched at him, and tore at his cloth
ing. and struck at his face; forms flung
themselves at his shoulders, and clung
around his legs. lie shook them off
and gained few yards. He was fighting
| like madman nOw--and now the
darkness was in his favor.
They came on again in blind rush
The door could not be far away! IIC
stumbled over one Of the small tables
recovered himself, and, snatching uT
the table. whirled it by one of its leg'
in sweep around his head. There wa'
smash of impact that almost knocked
the table from his grasp-and. coinCi'
dcntally, scream Of pain. 1t CLEARED
space about him. lie swung again
whiring tho table around and arount
his head. gaining impetus-and sud
denly sent It catapulting from him full
| into the shadowy forms in front of him
and. turning, made a dash for the enc
of the room.
lie reached tho wall, and grope,
along 1t for the door. The door! Whcr,
was it! lie fclt the warm blood tricklinl
down over his face. lie did not re-
member when that had happened.
lie could not sce--but they woulC
turn on the lights surely now in ~
instant ir tncy were not fools--and h,
must find the door first or he wa
trappcd-thut was his only chance--th,
place was n bcdlam Of hideous riot
curse tho blood, it seemed to be run
ming into his eyes now-Itunty Mott
If only he could have settled with thc
skulking--
Ills fingers touched and felt aroun,
the jamb of the open doOr:-and HI
surgcd. painting, through the doorway
The short passage ended in anothc
door lie opened this. found the yart
in front of him, dashed across it, ant
hurled himself over the fence into tn,
lane.