The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-13

There ensued q moment OF
strange and menacing silence. Pete
chuckled, already receptive to
Joe,s thought. Harold turned to
stare at him.
Joe put his pipe TO his lips, then
Ifurnbled at his pocket. He seemed
to search in vain. will you give
me q match. please, Lady," lie
asked.
The tone was strange. thick ana
strained yet Virginia's heart
thrilled with hope. Perhaps II
these men started TO smoke their
blood would cool. She turned
i quickly and procured half a dozen
matches from tho box.
AS her back was turned she
heard Pete laugh again.
Instinctively her eyes turned 70
! the wall for q reassuring sight Of
her pistol. 1t was gone from its
place.
She looked at Joe; his evil, leer-
ing. face told her only too plainly
that his eager hand had seized and
secreted her pistol. Pete's face
was drawn too; Harold only looked
Ibewildered.
I He was her last hope, but in QUO
tnstant's scrutiny she saw that this
had vanished. too. Some terrible
thought had sobered and engrossed
him.
Joe spoke than single sentence
in tho vcrnacular for Haro!d's ears
With one gesture he indicated
Harold, himself and Pete in turn
thon pointed to the girl. His face
was hideous with eagerness.
Harold started at the words. His
! degeneracy was complete. He an.
swered with curse.
why not?" he said. ''The girls
thrown me over. When I'm through
you can do what you want. And
crack the skull Of that mole with
the pick and throw him out In the
snow"
The two Indians lurchcd for
ward at his words. Bill left his
chair in mighty leap.
XVI
When Bfli sprang forward to in.
tercept the attuck upon the girl
he came with amazing accuracy
and power.
By means OF his acute ear he had
located the exact position OF every
actor In tho impending drama.
What was more important, he
knew the location of both candles.
He dashed both out.
The act had boon so swift and
unexpected that neither Joe,
standing nearest the girl ,or Har.
old across the room could draw
their pistols and fire..
Seemingly in a flash the dark.
ness was upon them. Bill was
face to face with his enemies in
his own dark lair. The advantages
Of vision on which they had pre-
sumed had been In IN instant re-.
moved.
Harold cursed in the blackness;
as IL in a continuation OF the leap
he had made to upset the candles,
Bill seized Virginia in his strong
arms.
He thrust her to the floor and
into the angle between hor bunk
and the wall, the point TINT he
instinctsvely realized would be the
easiest to defend and safest from
stray bullets.
Virglnia's pistol was in Joe's
hand by now and no shot in Bits
direction. Two spurts Of yellow
fire broke for Nh instant tho utter
gloom. But there was no time for
the third shot. He was the nearest
OF tho three attackers and Bills
outstretched arms seized him.
Tho woodmen's muscles gave
mighty wrench.
His grasp was about Joe's chest
at first. but with great lurch he
0lung the mans body out far
enough so that he could loop his
sineway arms about the mans
knees.
Then with q terrific wrench OF
his mighty shoulders Bill hurled
him against tho wall.
His neck was broken like
match. The odds were but two to
one.
Harold Ind 'qken out his own
revolver now and was shooting
bltndly in the darkness. Ducklng
low. Bill leaped for him; in mo-
ment they were graphing in each
others arms.
Bill wrenched him back ana
forth and in an instant would have
rushed the life out Of him IL II
hadn't been for the interference
OF Pete.
The latter breed leaped on MS
back, and Bill had to neglect IIar.
old an instant to stretch up his
.