The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-04-23
CHAPTER XI-Continued

In z flash l had fired and had drawn
his fire. for. before | could think, a
bullet had filcked the sleeve OF my
plstol-arm.
This showed me, once for all, that
20 far as snap shots were concerned.
/ stood no chance whatever against
such man. AS | whipped to one side,
made up my mind that | must not
fire again until knew for certain that
my bullet was going to kill. In
word, II l was to VIM | must come
to close quarters with Pharaoh, If not
to grips.
| had now come back to the table,
and an instant later / was crouching
beneath the archway, with my pistol
on the carpet before me and my empty
hands outstretched upon either side.
| had not long to walt.
When | did not return his fire, /
fancy the man was uncertain whether
or not / was dead. He, therefore,
sought the spot from which | had fired
and, finding nobody there, turned and
came to the table exactly as / had
done.
And exactly as | had done, he be-
gan to edge his way round 1t. !. :.
The slack of his trousers brushed
my hand.
In flash l had him by the ankles
and, ripping his feet from beneath him
had brought him down ON his side.
Then I snatched up my pistol, thrust
trigger-in vain.
The magazine was empty. Slovenly to
the last. Rush had never troubled to
replenish his clip.
Pharaoh had fallen to his right and
50 on his pistol-arm. While this was
taking his weight, he could not aim,
and though In flash he had flung
bis weight to the left, In that Instant
my fingers had caught the wrist of his
pistol-hand For moment he fought
for his freedom. then he let himself
fall on his back but now my wits
were working and before 1t could reach
his pocket. had hold Of his other
wrist
And In that Instant the room was
flooded with light. -.
For moment / thought that some
one had entered the chamber. And
then guessed that Pharaoh had turned
the switches when first he came into
the room, that the switchboard Itself
might report the repair Of the damage
which he had done.
So for the first time that night
saw my enemy's face.
| think he must have known that
was his assallant, but the sight Of me
seemed to send him out Of his mind
He fought no more as serpent, but
like the mailman he looked, his face
convulsed with passion and his, eyes
starting out OF his head
At last, to my relief, the tempest
blew Itself out, and he lay back, spent
and painting, to take his rest. but
before could think OF moving, he
had lifted his head once more and was
staring into my eyes.
/ looked back, grimly enough.
He did not struggle: he simply gazed
upon me, as though he would brand my
image upon his memory Then the fell
low spat In my face.
So mailman made mailman.
III he resisted, | know not, but
used him as a lay figure from that
time on
| dashed his hand on the massive
plinth of the table, to break his wrist,
and when his pistol had fallen |
brought his hands together and got to
my knees. And then | was clear Of
the table and had jerked him up to
his feet.
/ let his broken wrist go. whipped
out his second pistol and pitched Ii
across the room.
Then ! seized his throat with both
hands. turned him back to the table,
bent him across Its corner and broke
lis back on the oak.
Sitting on the bench by the fireplace.
! wiped my face and my hands on
HefTna's black silk scarf. This had
been wrung and creased, and | had no
doubt that Pharaoh had used 1t to
gag her. before he had carried her off.
Now that the business was over, |
found 1t hard to believe. | looked at
my watch.
The time was twenty minutes past
twelve. Not an hour had gone by since
Pharaoh had talked from the ram.
parts and Dewdrop had read his mes
sage to-Rush and Bugle and me. And
now they were all four dead, but /
was alive.
The reflection brought me up to my
feet.
Alive, III you please but was shut
In a chamber from which | could see
no way out. :.
For twenty minutes | sought that
secret door. shouted and beat uper
the woodwork, using Helena's name
all In vain.
Helena was locked In the turret--
my hand In my pocket fingered hel
master key: which | had taken from