The Adair County news., 1921-11-22


Then He Saw the Girl Standing by
the Rail.
up, wiping clumsily at the blood on
his face blinded. A man broke loose
! from the Scrimmage, on the opposite
! side from Rainey, who barely recOg-
nized the disheveled figure with the
| bloody, battered face as Deming. The
! hunter had managed to get hold of
| Lund's gun. Rainey'S aim was screened
| by a sudden lunge of the huddle of
men. He saw Lund heave, saw his
red face bob up, mouth open, roaring
I once more, saw his leg come up in a
tremendous kick that caught Deming's
Outleveling arm close to the elbow,
saw the CLEAN of the gun as it streaked
up and overheard, and Deming stag
gering back, clutching at his broken
limb, curSing with the pain, to bring
up against the rail and shout to the
seamen:
Get into il, you id towards! Get
into it, and settle him."
Even in that instant the sarcasm Of
the cry Of towards struck home to
Rainey. The next second the girl had
jumped by him, a CLINT of metal in
her hand as she brought it out of her
blouse. This time she saw him. "COme
On!'' she cried. And darted between
the fighters and the stOrming figure
of Deming, who tried to grasp her
| with hI1f foiIna
Rainey sped after her just as Lund
reached the mast. The girl had a
nickled pistol in her hand and was
threatening the sullen line of irreso-
lutte seamen. Rainey with his gun
was not needed. He heard Lund shout
out in triumphant cry and saw him
battering at the heads of three who
still clung to him.
All through the fight Lund had kept
his head, struggling to the purpose he
had finally achieved, to reach the
mast-rack of Delaying pins. seize one
weapon, beat his assallants to the
deck
He stood against the mast, his
clothes almost stripped from him, the
; white of his flesh cleaning through
the tatterS, streaked with blood. Save
for his eyes, his face was no longer
human, only a mass of flayed flesh
and clOtted beard. But his eyes were
aIfght with battle and then, as Rainey
gazed, they changed. Something OF
surprise, then of delight, leaped into
them, followed by a burning flare that
was matched in those of the girl who
with Rainey herding back the sea
men. had turned at Lund's yell of vic,
tory.
The girl wheeled and fed lodging
behind Tamada. who gave way to LET
her pass, his ivory features showing
no emotion, closing up the fore com
, paniOnway as Peggy Simms dived be
: low.
1 Lund did not follow her. Instead
: he laughed shortly and appeared Il
see Rainey for the first time.
Jumped me, the bunch Of 'em" ht
!, said. his chest heaving, his breatl
coming In spurts from his laborin:
{ lungs. Couldn't use my gun. But
I licked 'em. D-n 'em! Equals? H-lr
i He seemed to have a clear recOl
lection of the fight He smiled grim
Iy at Deming, who glared at him
= nursing his broken arm, then glanced
= at the man that Rainey had mastered
|, did him up, eh? Good for you
> mateyl You didn't have to use you
= gun. Jest as well, you might hav,
plugged me. An the gal had one
after ALL"
He seemed to ruminate on thi
thought as if it gave him special caus
for reflection.
;, He surveyed the rueful, groanin
cOmbatants with the smile of a con
querOr, then turned to the seamen.
"Here, you!" he roared, and the
, jumped as if galvanized into life b.
: the shout. "Chuck bucket of waite
r over 'em! Chuck water till they gi
> below. Then clean the decks. OF
S watch, you're out of this. Below wit
you, where you belong. Jump!
"They all fought fair" he wen
t on. ''Not knife out. Only Denim
9 there, when he knew he was licked
tried to git my gun. Yo're yelle
Deming," he said, with contempt tina
. was as If he had spat In the hunter
u face. 81 thought you were bette
{ man than the rest. But you've &C
l. yores. Git down below an wen
o you up."
y Lund passed his hand over his fac,
$ I'm some mess myself" he sail
s stretching his great arms. "Give m
4 a nye-fnger drink, Rainey, afore
o clean up. Some scrap. And the gal
). Did you see the gal. RaineyP