Page 155 (1/2)

"Hold that position, sir," yelled Bates

Morgan had directed the attack against reat fireplace The

sheriff, Morgan and Ferguson hemmed me in It was

evident that I was the chief culprit, and they wished to

eliminate me from the contest Across the rooh and

tu

ht, leaped the overturned table, broke past

the trio and stood atthe outer doors,

saw the face of Pickering He had come to see that his

orders were obeyed, and I remember yet my satisfaction,

as, hemmed in by the men he had hired to kill me

or drive me out, I felt, rather than saw, the cowardly

horror depicted upon his face

Then the trio pressed in upon me As I thren

my club and drew my revolver, some one across the

rooh the rooht for an instant, and then, while

Stoddard stood at reat chandelier, loosened or broken by the shots,

fell with aaway from Stoddard's club, was struck

on the head and borne down by the heavy glass

S floated in clouds across the

room, and there was aand cursing under the debris