Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1923-12-07

self.
He hacked himself off another huge
section; guIped 1t down; laughed con-
temptuously, and slammed the rest OF
the beautiful confection at window
with force that sDuffed out candle
and shivered the glass to splinters; he
glared around at the shrinking circle
and smacked the knife against the
palm of his hand.
"Say, ladies'" he leered. his voice
[ sounding harsh and strident in the
| dead silence Of the room, you and
the youngsters nee'n' t git panicky l
amt go'n' T. hurt you none. jlst
sa'nter'd In t. git a look at jay I've
hear'n tell shoots up K'ntuckians."
The reference was too plain to be
misunderstood Not a man there but
had heard Of the shoot-up in the post
office the evening before. Every eye
turned toward Jack Warhope, stand
ing a step or two In front of the
shrinking circle-for the others had
drawn back and he had not
The eyes Of the desperate followed
the eyes Of the crowd, Slouching
across the floor till the two stood face
to face, he stiffened and glared with
dull savagery.
Texie, just back of the preacher at
the punch bowl leaned across the
table and almost stopped breathing.
I'm a K'ntuckian."
II low they was right sorry when
y'u left"
The reply stung the drunk man to
madness. With unexpected vicious
ness he lunged and struck with the
knife.
The woodsman sprang back, warded
the blow with ready quickness, and
whipped q vicious jab to the chin that
pitched the intruder backward to the
floor. But the blow quick as 1t 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 armpit
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
gun from somewhere under his blouse
and his lanky body stiffened to bal
ance, a light in his one eye no man
there ever seen before. Uncle Nick
with q 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 doubtles:
counted on this very fact Stung Il
madness by the blow, he leaped VI
and lunged again with the knife
This time he ran square into thu
preacher With a readiness and cour
age hardly looked for In one Of hi
cloth, he had stepped In trout of JacI
Warhope, his tall figure erect and su
perbly dominant.
Fifty flatwoodsmen, half crouchet
and straining forward, STOOD staring
The eyes Of the dark faced mar
stretched so wide that they appeared
|
dirty hand, brushed II across thi
wiry stubble of his face and like s
man half dazed, slowly shut the clasI
knife and put it back In his pocket
Fifty fiatwoodsrnen rtfnxed, straight
ened; fifty pistols went back int
hiding
The preacher slowly raised an arm
and pointed toward the open door
The desperados eyes dropped; h'
rubbed his lips together as if to loosel
them; turned and stalked from th'
room.
"Mebbe we ortn't t. let i'm gi
away" muttered voice.
Jaw leave i'm Co." grunted Uncl
Nick, curiously puzzled expression
on his face as he gazed at the opel
door through which the renegade ha,
gone. Hes licked-an' e amt wo'u
hangin'."
The old man turned away, still wit
the puzzled expression on his face
motioned Jack to chair at the sid
Of the room and began examining hi
hurt
At that moment Texie slippe
through the crowd, some white strip
Of torn tablecloth in her hand, an
approached the woodsman. A smil
twisted his lips and the girl dippin
one Of the strips in the cold waite
Aunt Liza brought, began to wash tn
blood from the gashed shoulder an
make it ready to be bandaged.
The preacher looked on a moment
turned away and went back anon
the women who were gathering agai
about the punch bowl. The elaborat
frock coat and stiff neck stock ha
again asserted themselves. The stoo
had come back to his shoulders; tn
flare had left his eyes.
The girl, with fingers trembling
glanced through the open door Int
the square of darkness that had swa
lowed up the desperadO; bent lo'
over the bandages. and brought he
face close to the woodsman's ear.
"Jack-he looked like-like-Ke
would "a looked"