Evening star., 1924-06-22
lxniEht-Errant.
Chapter LXNI.

With eagerness, and as he looked
Brunei jumped
Elise screamed. kendrick tried to
ooGge. but was too late. Brunei hit
lin fair and square, and down they
went together, with Kendrick under-
meath and all Bruners great weight
aSprawl across him.
In those first seconds kendrick
rho,.ght the fight was lost. He knew
he could expect no assistance from
..ules, for. even if Jules had been Will
ing to tight-which he proDaoig was
rot-he was outside the hlgh gate
his back nearly broken where ken-
drick had jumped from 1t TO cluteh at
the gate top. ~
that his skull had not come IN con-
tact with the flags, but, for al lhat'
he was badly shaken , t.,t
He writhed beneath Brunei. anu leie M
Bruners right hand creeping up ms
chest He got a hand under Brunei
and gripped Brunels wrist, but was
unable to stay the upward moEenenI
uf the hand. His legs were locked IN
Eruners. and he stroVe to heaNe the
man over and sideways, but without
The fingers were at his collar. He
heard and felt the linen give.
He nut forth all his strength, and
tamporarily stayed their advance.
Than they were at his throat-nn-
gers and thumb at his throat, press
ing hard.
The hall was spinning and his chest
vas bursting. His right arm, lmprlS
Caed beneath him, was useless, YET
he must get it free If he were 10
rtand the least chance. hendrich .>
hnayed He was near the END OF ms
tether Brunei was choking Ms
sense from him.
All strength of desperation went
into second heave and with II ne
felt the weight lift from his right
nm He did not roll Brunei over,
he did not shake BruneIs grip on ms
throat-but he got his arm from un-
He punched. viciously. drcadfully;;
at the side of BruneIs $ hean, an anu
heard the clean smack Of his knuck
les as they connected with the bone
and flesh. He punched again ana
again Brunei clung doggediy;
Once more he punched and once
more the fingers at his throat relaxed
FOR an instant. He felt Brunei limp
for an atom Of time. and, heaVlhS
and rolling. he flung the man off
They were on their feet.
On the gallery Elise hunS TO tne
Brunei flung out hand pointing az
Kendrick and snarled something vile.
Kendrick laughed and jumped at
him.
GOT him square in the mouth. ana
Brlners head went back. HENDRICKS
hook missed and Kendrick whirled
sideways and away, with Brunei
clutching at him.
They went across the hall. and as
they went Brunei snatched one OF the
great chairs and flung it. Elise
screamed. Kendrick dropped nat on
his face. The, monstrous thing thing
crashed across him, hit the table
a IN DiaCeS beside it,
From the ground, leaping like a
tiger, Kendrick came in-low.
He got Brunei in the body. and Bru-
mel caught him before he could get
away, caught him and held ana
crushed him.
They went against the table. rolled
over to its top, with Brunei endeavor-
ing to get his throat grip again. ana
kendrick punching like a nIadman.
Across the table they went, while
the dust came up in clouds, and they
dropped at the far side over a chair
which tipped and flung them apart to
the flags.
They lay for a few breathless mo-
nents, watching each other. kendrick
on his side. Brunei on his stomach
Brunei moved, and kendrick in
stantly got TO his rect. Under the Ia
BILE went Brunei, diving like some
monstrous bear stirred to action by
fear, and when he Strengthened him
self at the far side he had in his hand
great piece of wood snatched from
the debris of the broken chair.
Now" he snarled Now.
He lurched at Kendrick and struck.
Kendrick. finging himself back
ward, felt the end of the timber
whirl past his face like the sweep
of a giants fist. II was the end.
That piece of wood Brunei held was
the only detached section OF the great
chair.
Brunei, in his blow and its failure,
had fallen face downward across the
table and Kendrick made desperate
snatch at the club and strove to
snatch it from Bruners grasp. In this
lake it from Brunels wrists were
stronger than his, and, with quick
twist, PROSTATE though he was. Bru-
mel flung off his fingers and smote at
him again.
The timber hit his shoulder numb
ing his arm and sending him reeling
sideways. Elise sobbed aloud.
Brunei, muttering guterally, scram-
bied across the table at him.
He hit round at Hendricks head, in
stead of down, and that fact saved
Hendricks life. For, driven by in
stinct he ducked, so that the timber
went across the back of his neck
and only sliced the air.
Kendrick thought. With the failure
"f BruneFs sweeping blow, he did not
close in and punch. but, turning on
his heel. he bolted as for his life.
Elsie saw it Bruno saw it.
Round the table went Kendirck,
Brunei after him.
Round flung a half glance over
his shoulder. He reached the chair.
He snatched its back and pulled it
sideways behind him.
Brunei saw it. saw the danger of il
-yelled-but was too late to avoid it
His shins hit ii as it toppled, and
he came over it. head first. in a great
dive. And as he came, even as he
truck the chair, Kendrick stopped
dead and whirled around.
The stick was gone from BruneFs
gtp, for his hands were wanted now.
on instinct to save his head. But
his head met something other than
ti,r flags, for Kendrick punched up at
Fis face as he dropped. and Elise.
above the gallery, heard Hendricks
knuckles strike his nose. Kendrick
taking him half blinded and dazed.
hooked him cleanly on the jaw and
dropped him at his feet.
Elise came down the stairs. She
put out her hands to him. MY dear
my dear. You were in time" So she
answered the question his eyes asked
her.
They went out of the place to-
Eether.
The car dropped slowly down the
winding road and struck out for the
lights of Baregess Jules in the back
and Elise silent beside Kendrick.
CHAPTER LXVH.
The Gueron.