The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-11-22

madness. With unexpected vicious
ness he lunged and struck with the
knife.
The WoOdSman Sprang back, WardeC
the blow with ready quickness, and
whipped a vicious jab to the chin that
pitched the intruder backward to the
floor. But the blow, quick as it was,
had come the flick of an instant too
late, the knife had found his flesh.
grazed the left side of his neck, ripped
through collar and tie and gashed his
shoulder halfway to the arlhpit.
Right there the Flatwoods showed
} it's teeth. Fifty pistols leaped into
view. al Counterman, far back in the
crowd, snatched a long-barreled six
and his lanky body stiffened to bal
ance, a light in his one eye no man
there ever seen before. Uncle Nick.
with a vigor that set at defiance his
weight of years, hurled younger men
aside and sprang into the cleared
circle.
But with so many women and chill
dren present pistols were out of the
question. The desperate doubtless
counted on this very fact. Stung to
madness by the blow, he leaped up
and lunged again with the knife.
This time he ran square into the
preacher. With a readiness and cour-
age hardly looked for in one of his
cloth, he had stepped in front of Jack
Warhope, his tall figure erect and SUI
perbly dominant.
Fifty ~fatwoodsmen, half crouched
and straining forward, stood staring.
The eyes of the d~ark-faced man
stretched so wide that they appeared
to bulge from their sockets. He lifted
a dirty hand, brushed it across the
man half dazed, slowly shut the clasp
knife and put it back in his pocket.
Fifty f~1atwoodsmen relaxed. straight
ened fifty pistols went back into
hiding.
The preacher slowly raised an arm
and pointed toward the open door.
The desperado's eyes dropped; he
rubbed his lips together as if to loosen
them turned and stalked from the
"Mebbe we ortn't t. let i'm git
away" muttered a voice.
Jaw leave i'm co. grunted Uncle
Nick, a %curiously puzzled expression
on his face as he gazed at the open
door through which the renegade had
gone. He's licked-an' e amt wo'th
langin'.'
The old man turned away, still with
he puzzled expression on his face,
notioned Jack to a chair at the side
If the room and began examining his
lurt.
At that Texie slipped
through the crowd. some white strips
If torn tablecloth in her hand, and
approached the wOodsman. A smile
visited his lips. and the girl, dipping
me of the strips in the cold water
aunt Liza brought, began to wash the
Hood from the gashed shoulder and
make it ready to be bandaged.
The preacher looked on a moment,
urned away and went back among
he women who were gathering again
bout the punch bowl. The elaborate
rock Goa and stiff neck stock had
gain asserted themselves. The stoop
come back to his shoulders the
Iare had left his eyes.
The girl, with fingers trembling,
danced through the open door into
hef square of darkness that had swal-
owed up the desperate; bent low
yer the b~andages, and brought her
ace close to the woodsman's cal.
"Jack-he looked like-like-Ken
yould "a looked"
The woodsman started Looked into
he square Of darkness; and then into
he girls face.
mo, moi" he whispered. Even if
e was alive, he wouldn't "a come
own that-low-w