The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-09-15

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woman. woman who knew him,
had given warning. What
woman?
"Ellen?" he shouted.
Her answer came from the close
confines of the fur room: John. Z.
John. are you all righf?"
"Rightl" he yelled. raising himself
bit so his voice would carry better.
SIS 1t you. Ellen? Where are your
Again the rife. shooting savagely.
aimlessly now. Six times shot after
shot, until echoes came ringing back.
fright! !" he shouted again. "Where
are your
e. fur room. At the east
end Stay safe" she called HE
has world of ammunition and is
shooting at you through the window"
Another voice then. muffled snarl
of warning
And on the sound John hunched to
his knees. rose to nearly upright
position, pistol in his hand. He could
see now. through the upper branches;
he saw movement within, shadowy,
indistinct movement, and fred. A
pane of glass pulverized, the figure In
there shifted quickly; he shot again
and his ball tore through the other of
the two windows he could see.
He dropped for shelter and cried
out:
"Stay back. GorbelI I'll drill you,
s'help mep
He pressed his body against the
stump, but the man inside did not re-
ply. with words or gunfire. That
silence descendeo ,sSain.
All manner of impulses. of hopes, of
fears, vast array of miscellaneous
and conflicting emotions. sarged
through John. Ellen, here, wakh
Gorbel! Ellen, under the same roof
with a man who had nothing TO lose
but his liberty nowl Why had she
come? Why had Gorbel born. so
straight for this place?
"Ellen!" he called, suddenly frantic.
You all right?"
"Right!" Her voice was fainter
now. huskeu with tears.
The rifle spoke again, six barking
shots, and on the last John leaped up.
Two small windows thanked the cabin
door on this, the western exposure.
He ran for the end of the building,
sinking deeply, fioundering and strain
ing until he threw himself fat In the
great drift at the corner. He wrig.
gled close against the log wall, hold,
ing the pistol at ready. holding his
breath. listening. No sound came to
indicate that Gorbel had seen him
close in.
John removed the snowshoes and
crept along the wall. movements silent
in the new snow, ducking low as he
passed the near window, coming to
halt beside the door.
''Two!" he counted as the rifle
crashed once more. After an
other wait he could whisper "Three!"
And then "Four!'
Five and six shots, then, and spruce
branches were clipped off and dropped
and feet sounded on the cabin floor.
And then John Belknap had his
left hand on the latch. his shoulder to
the stout door, was swinging 1t
open. =.
No turning back, now! He showed
with all his strength and the legs Of
the table which Gorbel had set across
the entry rumbled on the planks as
John pushed it sideways.
He had look at drawn and bag
gard face, stamped with terror and
cruelty as Gorbel, rifle In one hand,
the other outstretched for cartridges
scattered on the cot swung to face
this Intrusion.
drop itr snapped Belknap. "Drop
that gum!
He knew what was coming before II
started He could have fired then and
felled Gorbel in his tracks but he did
not. He was no killer; not when the
weapon in the others hand was
empty.
But an empty rife is weapon
nevertheless. He saw the quick brac-
ing of Gorbel's feet, observed the short,
sharp gesture with which he hurled
the gun. He ducked, quite sure of
himself, too sure of himself. The butt
of the rifle missed his head as it sailed
towards him, but the barrel. trailing,
dropping as it came, raped him across
the skull
It was heavy blow. His cap was
protection enough to turn It from a
stunning shock to simple bewilder-
ment for a second or a frac-
tional second.
He fired as Gorbel rushed. He fired
quickly, with intent to kill; but he
fired blindly. too; was off balance
when he squeezed. The bullet found
some other mark and Gorbel was upon
him. beating him down, sprawling over
him as the pistol. knocked from Johns
grasp. skittered across the floor.
Locked together, they rolled over
with mighty threshing of legs up
setting the table. coming to rest
against 1t. John, head now cleared, on
top. graphing for Gorbel's throat.
The body beneath him heaved and
bowed It was like steel, with the
strength of desperation.
They were up again, locked once
more. and John could feel ragged
breath, hot on his cheek He struck at
the hand which CROPPED for his throat.
He stamped on Gorbel's feet.
They had an instant of blows, toe
to toe. and then Gorbel was on Johns
throat. He tore at the locked grip
and could not break ii. He drove his
kpoo inward and thonoh tba fo,oo