New Britain herald., 1929-06-01
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I ing up at a run. fled along the l gallery until I came nearly to the other end. l crept to the wall. aA weak as a glass of skimmed milk.
 Keeping close to the wall. l moved noiselessly down the gal lery. and entered upon the most terrific half hour of my life. The gallery ran around the four walls of the hall. Now came to the end. Dillon was somewhere be- ! hind me. Or was he waiting near the head of the stairs for me to circle the gallery and run into his ans? I dared not go on; was l afraid to remain still.
 Halfway up the west side of the gallery I stopped once more. A beam of light shot out of the dark ness in my rear 30 feet away. He had kept the torch back until he was sure l was unarmed. Now he knew he had me. drove myself on again. Just then pitched headlong over broken chair and slid along the floor. I l squirmed into the further corner l of a partitioned alcove next to the wall. My pursuer could not see me. My hands fell upon the back of a chair. I picked it up. whirled 1t around the alcove partition and let go.
 The chair went home. The man cursed and the light beam swept downward; it fell through the wei! of the hall. A tinkle of glass as it struck the floor was faintly audible
 sensed the mans approach. l heard his excited breathing. and l f>lt him, at last. standing in front of the alcove. gun leveled The pistol cracked again. must have been hidden, or he would have hit me. The flash showed me exactly where he was. Tensing my body let myself go.
 I struck him like batterine ram and he staggered to the bal cony rail. dropping the pistol. Be. fore could follow up my advan. tage he lifted me bodily and flung me against the wall in the alcove.
 My head as we'll as my body struck the wall. and I passed into that borderland between sensibilit, and inconsistencies. My enem, was groping for his pistol. I could not lift a hand to stop him. Ther made a curious discovery. M! head and shoulders were not pilet up against the wall. as I had sup posed, but were lying in a room behind the wall. Part of it hat . swung in when was throwr against it, and the upper portion O my body had gone with it.
 Where my strength came iron know not, hut I suddenly found myself wriggling painfully forward into the room. Two-thirds of my body were in when collapsed, ex. hausted. Again strength as giver me. and got myself completel, into the room.
 A dozen seconds may have elapsed before l was able to grope for the door. It swung slowly before my feeble effort. It stuck and creaked.
 Dear God" sobbed, I've got to shut it!"
 Crack! The bullet ripped through woodwork and by the flash I got { glimpse Of some one leaping into the alcove. Just then the dool swung to and a latch clicked. NJ, hand encountered a flat bolt drove it home. and sank in a hud dle on the floor.
 CHAPTER 22
 POKER F.CES
 The storm laShed at the buildin, and loose boards rattled like skele tons dancing in closet. wa! vaguely aware of the man investi gating the other side of the wall. H, would rap on the door with the but of his pistol. then hurl himself upoi it. but without effect. was too il 10 care and too dazed to move. Som, time passed and then I heard hin no more.
 Presently ! began to feel better The room was pitch black. l stil had a single match. Treasuring between my fingers, was loatl to use 1t.
 If I struck the match the fam would burn out and I would hay lost my last anchorage in realit, It way, 1 think I feared tho ligh event more than I did the dark. fo IT had an unranny senSe of som