Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-11-13
By Jackson Gregory
Copyright by Charles scribner's Sons

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Copyright by Charles scribner's Sons
not find him soon IL he stood quite
motionless. The fight was still to be
made, Quinnion's friends would be
taking hand now, Steve had already
joined issue. There were six of them
against him and with one shot fired
from his heavy Colt there were but
five left No shot to be wasted.
A little creaking Of a floor board,
a vague, misty blur almost at his side,
and still Lee saved, his fire. Quickly
he lifted the big revolver, held weld
ed to grip of steel, throwing it high
| above his head and striking down
ward. There was almost no sound ;
just the thudding blow as, the thick
barrel struck heavy mat of hair, and
with no cutlery man went down to
lie STILL At the same moment the dim
square of the window showed form
slipping through; one man vas seek
Ing safety from quarrel not his own.
And as he went, there came aga.l
a soft thudding blow and Cars0n's dry
voice outside, saying calmly:
Shorty got away, but you don't,
pardner. Give 'em hi, Bud. I'm in
the play again"
1.-TWO men down." grunted Lee to
himself with grim satisfaction. "And
old Carson back on the job. Only two
to our one now"
The form in the window crumpled
and under Carson's quick hands was
/ jerked out. Suddenly 1t was very
/ still In the little room. Steve did not
fire a third time; Quinnion held his
fire. For Lee had made no answer
and they were taking heavy chances
with every shot now, chances Of shoot
ing the wrong man. Each of the four
watchful men in the narrow apartment
breathed softly.
/ Once more Lee lifted his gun above
his head. AS he held it thus, he put
out his left hand gently, inch by inch,
gropingly. Extended full length, 1t
i touched nothing. Slowly he moved 1t
/ in semi-circle, the gun in his right
hand always ready to come crashing
down. His fingers touched the wall,
/ then moving back assured him that
mo one was within reach. Lifting a
| foot slowly, he took one cautious step
i forward toward the spot where he
| had last seen Quinnion. Again his
arm, circling through the darkness,
sought to locate for him one of the
men who must be very near him now.
! Suddenly 1t brushed mans shoulder.
There was a sharp, muttered ex-
clamation, and again flare of red
flame as this man fired. But he had
misjudged Bud Lees position by few
inches, the bullet cut through Lees
coat, and Lees dubbed revolver fell
unerringly, smashing into the mans
forehead. There was low moan, a
revolver clattered to the floor, body
fell heavily.
"A new situation thought Lee.
Three men down before clock could
tick off as many minutes and not a.
single man shot. It was place for
man like Charlie Miller with his old
1 pickhandle.
Bud" called Carson's voice sharp
ly, aare you all right
Eyes," answered Lee briefly, and as
he answered moved sharply to one
side so that his voice might not draw
| a shot from Quinnion or the other
men. There came two spurts of flame,
one from each of the corners Of the
room opposite him, the reports Of the
| two shots reverberating loudly. But this
was mere guesswork- shooting at no
more definite thing than mans voice,
and Lee having moved swiftly had lit
tie fear. And he knew pretty well
where those two men were now.
So did Carson, who from without
/ fired in twice through the window.
/ Then again 1t grew so silent that
/ clock ticking somewhere out In the
barroom was to be heard distinctly,
SO that again the men guarded their
breathing.
Lee thought that he knew where
! Ouinnion was, in the corner at his
right close to the rear wall. Not
square in the corner, of course, for
having fired he was fox enough to
shift his position little. True, no
sound had told of such movement.
But Quinnion could be trusted to
make no sound at a time like this.
Lee, equally silent, again set a slow
! foot out, moving cautiously toward
the spot where his eyes sought Quin-
Mon in the dark.
He was calculating swiftly now:
| Ouinnion had fired twice from the
screen of the table just as Steve shot
out the light; he had fired again just
now, it was fair bet that at least
/ one of the other shots had been his.
That meant that he had fired four
times. If Quinnion still carried his
old six-shooter he had but two shots
at most left to him, for there had been
no time which he would risk in re-
loading.
Lee swept off his hat and tosseds at
| out before him to the spot where he
believed QuinniOn was and dropped
swiftly to his knee as he did so.
There was a snarl, Quinnion's evil
snarl. and shot that sped high above
his head. His hat had struck Quin-
MON full in the face. Then Lee again
| onofY1 cfrI1aly xx,;4L,