Evening star., 1921-11-03
Continued from Yesterdays Starr

| CONTINUED from Yesterdays Star.)
With a quick, sudden wrench, Dav
Henderson tried to free himself. |
| circle that almost pitched him, am
with him the other, to the floor. Bu
| he saw the Scorpion now The Scor
pL on had risen to his feet from Booki
Skarvan's side and was balancing
revolver In his hand; and now tn
Scorpions voice seemed to hoid
sort OF purring note. velvet in It
so fitness
'Ail right. then, Maggot! We Nigh
as well have a cleanup here, sine
he's started it. I guess we came JUS
about in time, or he'd have had th
money as well as our fat friend ther'
that he got. 1t looks as though W.
ought to even up the score" Tn
| revolver lifted in the Scorpion
hand. Jump away. Maggot-Im go
ing to lead the ace of trumps!
The eyes were White-not Diue
white-two little white spots across
the room They held a devils menac
in them-like the voice-like TN
purring voice that was hideous be
cause it was SO soft. God. could n
hold this Maggot now-not wrench
himself free. but hold the man her
| in his arms-keep Maggot betweel
him and those white eyes, that looked
! like wicked little plague spots whlci
| had eaten into that grotesquely red
thatched face.
| Maggot was fighting like a demon
! now to tear himself free. A swea
bead spurted out on Dave Hendtr
sens forehead and rolled down nj
F.; face. The white eyes came dancin:
| ncarer-nearer. They circled and rir
rled. as he circled-MaEgot was I'M
shield. He whirled this way and that
! Eit H.
they swung and whipped Maggo
around in furioNS gyrations,
\ shot rang out. Something sans
with an angry hum and hot breatt
hast Dave Henderson's check. Th'
velvet voice laughed. Maggot scream
ed in a mixture Of rage and fear.
curse youse. youse fool! fouse'
hit mel"
"l'lI get him next time, Maggot.
purred the velvet voice.
The white eyes kept TOO far away
that was what was the matter-to'
rar away. If they would only COM
ncar-near enough so that of a sud
den he could let so his grip ans
launch this sTuirming human shicl'
full. like a batterirg ram. into thns'
"-hite eyes. That was the only chance
there was. Only the Scorpion was too
cunning for that-he kept too fa
away.
Dave Henderson swung mad,
around again. interposing Masgot'
body as the Scorpion darted to on
side; and then suddenly, and for thu
first time. there came sound from
Dave Herderson's lps-a low cry o
pain. Teresa.
1t was only a glimpse he got-per
haps it wasn't real. Just a glimps
into the hallway where the ligh
from the room streamed out-juSt
glimpse OF figure on the stairs wh'
leaned out over the barister. ant
whose face was white as death itself
and whose hands seemed to grip ant
cling to the banister rail as though
they were welded there.
Teresa He grew sick at heart as h,
struggled now. Teresa! If he coul'
only have kept her out of this; /
only, at least. she were not there t.
see, 1t couldn't last much longer
True, Maggnt. beyond doubt, beyon'
shadow of trickery now, had had hi.
fill of fighting. and there was fea
upon the man. the fear of an unluck,
shot from the Scorpion. and he wa
whimpering now, and he struggle
only apa thetically, but it took sire ngti
to drag even a dead weight arount
and around and that strength woul'
not last forever. Teresa. She hat
heard those shots from up above
she had seen the Scorpion fire once
and miss. and She
ne SCbIDloIt = fSu pul II Iopht'
like a sure shot now! Dave Hender
son jerked Maggot in front of him
but his swirling. mad gyrations hat
brought him into the angle that th
desk made with the wall. and. turl
as he would now, the Scorpion coul'
reach in around the end of the dcsl
and almost touch him with the re
volver mu|1ie itself
Il got him, Maggot!" purred th'
Scorpion. Il got him now. the
The mans voice ended in a startled
cry. The sweat was running int
scarcely see-just blurred visior
over Maggot's shoulder. blurred
vision Of a slim figure running like
the wind into the room, and stoopins
to the floor wSSro the package o
hanknotes lay. ana snatching it up
and starting for the G>or again.
And then the Scorpion fired-bu
the revolver was pointed now acros:
the room, and the slight. fleeing fig
ure swayed and staggered, and re
covered herself. and went on. ant
over her shoulder her voice, though
it faltered, rang bravely through thu
II II thought he'd rathe
have this than you. Dave
It was the only chance Don't mine
me. Dave. He won't get me-"
The whirnpering thing in Dave Hen
derson's arms was flung from him
and it rashed to the floor. 1t wasn'
his own strength, it vas the strength
of one dernented. and of a maddenet
brain. that possessed Dave Hender
son now. And he leaped forward
running like a hare. Teresa had al
ready gained the stairs-the Scorpion
in pursuit was halfway along tn,
hall. And now he saw nothing else
'ust that red-haired figure running
running, running. There was neither
house, nor hall. nor stairs. nor an!
other thing-only that red-hairet
figure that the soul of him craved
for whom there was no mercy, tina
with his hands he would tear tt
pieces In insensate fury.
A flash came. binding his eyes; (
report roared in his ears-and thel
his hands snatched at and caught {
wriggling thing. And for the frs
time he realized that he had reached
the head Of the stairs. realized 1t be
cause. pitched forward over tn,