Part 16 (2/2)
”So!” And he broke fro toward the rear of Oda Yorimoto's hut
CHAPTER XII THE FIGHT IN THE PALACE
BARBARA HARDING heard the sa toward the door that separated them from her She pressed the point of the daimio's sword close to her heart A heavy knock fell upon the door and at the sairl was startled by a noise behind her--a noise at the littleat the far end of the rooer, she was startled into a little cry of surprise to see the head and shoulders of the mucker framed in the broken square of the half-deirl did not knohether to feel renewed hope or utter despair She could not forget the heroisone to pieces the day before, nor could she banish from her mind his threats of violence toward her, or his brutal treatment of Mallory and Theriere And the question arose in her mind as to whether she would be any better off in his power than in the clutches of the savage samurai
Billy Byrne had heard the knock upon the door before which the girl knelt He had seen the corpses of the dead men at her feet He had observed the telltale position of the shich the girl held to her breast and he had read lance
”Cheer up, kid!” he whispered ”I'll be wid youse in a minute, an'
Theriere's out here too, to help youse if I can't do it alone”
The girl turned toward the door again
”Wait,” she cried to the samurai upon the other side, ”until I move the dead men, then you may come in, their bodies bar the door now”
All that kept the warriors out was the fear that possibly Oda Yoriht not be dead after all, and that should they force their way into the room without his permission some of them would suffer for their temerity Naturally none of the, but the irl spoke of the dead ”men” they knew that Oda Yorimoto had been slain, too, and with one accord they rushed the little door
The girl threw all her weight against her side, while the dead ht, aided the woman who had killed them in her effort to repulse their fellows; and behind the three Billy Byrne kicked and tore at the e the aperture sufficiently to perh into the little rooirl's side first, and snatching Oda Yoriainst the door, and coirl to make for theand escape to the forest as quickly as she could
”Theriere is waiting dere,” he said ”He will see youse de moment yeh reach de , and den youse will be safe”
”But you!” cried the girl ”What of you?”
”Never yeh mind me,” commanded Billy Byrne ”Youse jes' do as I tells yeh, see? Now, beat it,” and he gave her a rough shove toward the
And then, between the combined efforts of the sa upon the other the frail door burst froes and fell to one side
The first of the samurai into the little rooe of the sword of the Lord of Yoka wielded by the hty arm of the mucker The second took the count with a left hook to the jaw, and then all that could crowd through the little door swarmed upon the husky bruiser fro took one look at the carnage behind her and then sprang to theAt a short distance she saw the jungle and at its edge what she was sure was the figure of a rass
”Mr Theriere!” she cried ”Quick! They are killing Byrne,” and then she turned back into the roorasped in her hand sprang to the side of thehis life to save her
Byrne cast a horrified glance at the figure fighting by his side
”Fer de love o' Mike! Beat it!” he cried ”Duck! Git out o' here!”
But the girl only smiled up bravely into his face and kept her place beside him The mucker tried to push her behind hiht with the other, but she dreay froain a little farther fro the for thefrom numerous wounds, but at his feet lay two dead warriors, while a third crawled aith a mortal wound in his abdomen