New Britain herald., 1924-12-22

seeing the flying danger from the corner of his eye. So the blow mere | ly grazed the bone and partly stunned him for the fraction of a minute.
 He staggered Up from his chair and back q step. The revolver 1 dropped down to the tips of his un- nerved fingers and hung there by i the trigger guard. The very curse which he uttered was blurred and half spoken.
 i Keep out of this" commanded { Haines, and reached for the shoulder of his table companion. His grip was strong, but his fingers slipped from a mass of contracted muscles. He might as well have laid an ar- resting hand on the flank of an avalanche.
 Harry GIoster went over the table and landed first with his fist on the face of Joe, and secondly, with his feet on the floor. The half numbed fingers of Joe wers gathering the revolver again.
 The blow landed in the nick of time and it ended the fight, whirl- 1 Ing him about and pitching him ! into the wall with a force that Jarred the room, He slumpcd loose ly back rpon the floor.
 Mary, brought by the uproar to the door of the kitchen, screamed and ran back, and Wu raised a shrlll chattering. Lee Haines was already knoeling beside the fallen man. whom he turnad on his back.
 Not even broken jaw" he said. He must be made of India rub ber,' He arose and faced Gloster and laid his bandaged hand on the shoulder of the other. His calm was amazing to Harry Gloster.
 That was fast work" Haines said and it saved me from being . flllod full Of lead, which is bad enough, or begging off, which IS worse. But iG you're headed for the Rio Grandc, hon't let this hold you back. And if you come back again, don't come back this way. Hes 1 bad medicine, you undcrstand?"
 "Tvr novcr sidc-stcpped 2 man yet' Marry Gloster replied. shak- ing his chad,
 You're not too old 10 form a good habit" Hnincs rejoined. He scanned the magnificent body of Gloster. and last of all his glance d"'lt on the hands, His own fin F'rS' and those Of Joe. lying un- 1 conscious on the floor, were long. slender. bony - intended for move mHnts Of electric speed. But fhe fin E"rs Of Harry Gostor were square tipped, built for crushing power. 1 No,' he continued. keep away from him and youll have better luck. And start moving now"
 CHAPTER "
 MOON MAD Ih" ranch house in which Buck Daniels and Joan lived was not old. but tn" parching sun of 4 few sum- mHrS had drawn the life from the wood and warped it loose, and a score Of wild sandstorms had bat tered and twisted it. So that a voire sounded from corner 10 corner of the building and footfaIl started small mnrmurs squeaking across the house.
 But when Joan arose from her bed it was like the rising of a shadow; there was not even a whis- pering of the covers as they wore laid back. And so eingerly did she trust her weight 10 the floor that 1t gave not the slightest sound back to her
 So, for q moment, she stood quiet IE thinking and planning and weighing chances, with q hand pressing a hollow into her cheek; and perhaps timidity would have conquered now as 1t had conauered with her before had it not been that her window opened to the east and, looking through it across the night, she saw what seemed the rising of great fire among the black edges of the eastern mountains.
 (Ta Be Continutd)
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