Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-09

wound his arms around the girls
slender waist.
Pull us apart il you can" he told
Wilkes as he interlocked his fingers
behind Helen's back.
The stout man stopped and
scratched his head as If confronting
problem too complex for his wits to
solve A look of difidence crossed
Bimble's face as he noticed that the
Phantom had once more baked him.
KNOCK him down if you can't part
them any other way" he commanded
wrathfully. Tap him on the head
with something"
Chuckling, Wilkes drew a long re-
volver from his pocket, gripping it
tightly by the barrel as he cautiously
approached the Phantom from the
side. Helen gasped
Keep cool"' whispered the Phan-
tom. And whatever happens, stay
right at my back"
He watched Bimble's pistol out of
one eye, while with the other he fol.
lowed Wilkes movements. For an in
slant, as Wilkes swung the heavy
weapon over his shoulder. he tensed
his muscles for action. Then, with
a motion so swift that the eyes of the
onlookers could scarcely register it,
his arm darted out and gripped the
others wrist just as the revolver was
about to crash down on the Phan-
TOMS head.
Once more his arm shot out and
With a quick and powerful wrench he
swung Wilkes directly in front of him.
coiling the fingers of one hand around
the mans neck and windpipe In al
most the same instant he whipped out
iC fnl nd Ioo
of Wilkes as a shield, took aim and
fired.
Bimble uttered sharp yell of pain.
The pistol dropped from his fingers,
and he looked dazedly at his blood
spattered hand.
Fairly good shot" CALCULATED the
Phantom with a chuckle. At his back
was Helen, trembling with excite
ment, and in front of him stood
Wilkes, spluttering and gasping for
breath as a result of the Phantom
clutch at his throat.
The whole episode had been en-
acted within the space of few Sec
onds. The Phantom had acted so
swiftly and taken them all so com.
pletely by surprise that no one had
had time to interfere Now, before
the men huddled against the wall
and in front of the stairs could gather
their wits, powerful shove sent
Wilkes sprawling headlong to the
floor and in another moment the
Phantom had seized Helens hand and
made a rush for Bimble.
He snatched UP the pistol the doc
tor had dropped as the bullet struck
his wrist, and handed it to Helen.
shoot the first man who makes
move" he directed, and shoot to
kiln
Helen looked into his cool, deter
mined eyes, flashing with the ecstasy
of combat With a faint, audacious
smile on her lips, she drew herself up
and. handling the weapon with the
sure touch of an expert, faced the
staring and muttering crowd. For a
few moments the men stood immobile
as il the swift succession of events
had cast a numbing spell over their
bodies and minds: then, with om-
nous grumblings and curses, a few
of the more daring ones started for
ward.
In the meantime the Phantom had
jahbed his pistol against Bimble's
body with a force that brought a
sickly groan from the doctors lips
He glanced aside out of the corner of
an eye as a crack and gleam Of fire
issued from Helen's weapon. A bull
let in the fieshy part of the hip had
checked furtive movement on the
part of one of the gang, and instantly
the others. impressed by the girls ex-
hibition of craftsmanship, fell back
The Phantom nodded approvingly.
His glittering eyes and smile on his
lips gave no hint of what he felt.
Let me warn you that Miss Hard
wick is an expert" he remarked
cooliy. She once got perfect bulls
eye at 500 yards
The men looked at the girl, then at
their ashen-faced and quavering
leader. The Phantom pushed the pis.
tol a little harder against the Doctors
body.
If any one raises hand against
Miss Hardwick, you die instantly" he
declared sharply. II could kill you
with no more conjunction than If /
were killing rat"
The doctor gulped and for the mo-
ment all his cunning seemed to have
deserted him.
Amy one who cares to fire a bullet
at me is welcome to do so,' the Phan-
tom went on, speaking in quick ac-
cents that sounded like the clinking OF
metal. my index finger, you will no.
tice, is on the trigger. The slightest
pressure will send a chunk of lead
into your vitals. If L die, the muscu-