The Ely miner., 1923-04-20
CHAPTER xvl-Continued.


excited; his blood leaped hotly to ms
hand pointing his pistol; he panteu'
almost audibly, for breath, but though
his pulse throbbed through his head
too his mind was clear and cool as
he reckoned his situation ana his
chances. He had crossed the Pacific,
the continent, he had schemed ana
risked verything with the mere nope
of getting into this room to discover
evidence with which to demand from
the world righting of the wrong
which had driven him as fugitive Tor
five years; and here he found the man
who was the cause of it all, before
him in the same room few PAGES
away in the dark!
For it was impossible that this was
not that man; and Eaton knew now
that this was he who must have been
behind and arranging and directing
the attacks upon him. Eaton had not
only seen him and heard his voice, but
he had felt his grasp; that sudden, IN
stinctive crouch before charge, ana
the savage lunge and tackle were the
instant, natural acts of an OLD lines
man on championship team in the
game of football as it was played
twenty years before. That lift of the
opponent off his feet and the heavy
lunge hurting him back TO fall on MS
head was what one man-ln tne
rougher, more cruel days of the col
lege game-had been famous for. On
the football field that throw sufflced
to knock helmeted opponent uncon-
scious; here it was meant, beyond
doubt, to do more.
Upon so mach, at least, Eaton's
mind at once was clear; here was his
enemy whom he must destroy If he
himself were not first destroyed.
Other thoughts, recasting of other re-
lations altered or overturned in their
bearing by the discovery of this man
here-everything else could and must
wait upon the mighty demand of that
moment upon Eaton to destroy this
enemy now or be himself destroyed.
Eaton shook in his passion; yet
| coolly he now realized that his left
| shoulder, which had taken the shock
of his fall, was numb. He shifted his
| pistol over TO cover a vague form
which had seemed to move; but, If il
| had stirred, it was still again now
Eaton strained to listen.
1t seemed certain that the noise OF
the shot, if not the sound of the
struggle which preceded it, must have
raised an alarm. Basil Santoine, as
Eaton knew, slept above; nurse
must be waiting on duty somewhere
near. Eaton had seen the row of but
tons which the blind man had within
arms length with which he must be
able TO summon every servant in the
house. So it could not last mucf
longer now-this deadlock in the dark
And one of the two, at least, seemed
to have recognized that.
Eaton had moved, warily and care
fully. but he had moved; revolvel
flashed before him. Instantly ant
without consciousness that his finge
pulled the trigger, Eaton's pisto
flashed back. In front of him, TIT
flame flashed again, and another spur
of fire spat at one side.
Eaton fired back at this-he wa
PROSTATE on the floor now, ant
whether he had been hit or not n
did not yet know, or whether tn
blood flowing down his face was onl
from a splinter sprayed from the tabl
behind which he had hid. He fire
again, holding his pistol far out to on
side to confuse the aim of the others
he thought that they too were doin
the same and allowed for it in his ain
He pulled his trigger a ninth time
he had not counted his shots, but h
knew he had had seven cartridges |
the magazine and one in the barrel
and the pistol clicked without di:
charging. He rolled over farthe
away from the spot where he had las
fired and pulled an extra clip of ca
tridges from his pocket
The blood was flowing hot over HI
face. He made no effort to staunc
it or even to feel with his fingers
find exactly where or how badly h
had been hit. He jerked the empt
| cartridge clip from his pistol butt an
snapped In the other. He swept h
sleeve over his face to clear the bloc
from his brows and eyes and stare
through the dark with pistol at arm
length loaded and ready. Bloc
spurted over his face again; anoth'
sweep of his sleeve cleared it; ar
he moved his pistol-point back ar
forth in the dark.
Surely now the sound of firing
that room must have reached the ms
in the room above; surely he must
summoning his servants.
Eaton listened; there was still ]
sound from the rest Of the house. B
overhead now, he heard an almost IL
perceptible pattering-the sound of
barefooted man crossing the foo
and he knew that the blind man
the bedroom above was getting up.
CHAPTER XVII