‘Yes,’ replied Graeme, ‘ever since I spoiled your cut-throat game in ‘Frisco. How is the little one?’ he added sarcastically.
Idaho’s face lost its smile and became distorted with fury as he replied, spitting out his words, ‘She—is—where you will be before I am done with you.’
‘Ah! you murdered her too! You’ll hang some beautiful day, Idaho,’ said Graeme, as Idaho sprang upon him.
Graeme dodged his blow and caught his forearm with his left hand and held up high the murderous knife. Back and forward they swayed over the floor, slippery with whisky, the knife held high in the air. I wondered why Graeme did not strike, and then I saw his right hand hung limp from the wrist. The men were crowding upon the barricade. I was in despair. Graeme’s strength was going fast. With a yell of exultant fury Idaho threw himself with all his weight upon Graeme, who could only cling to him. They swayed together towards me, but as they fell I brought down my bar upon the upraised hand and sent the knife flying across the room. Idaho’s howl of rage and pain was mingled with a shout from below, and there, dashing the crowd right and left, came old Nelson, followed by Abe, Sandy, Baptiste, Shaw, and others. As they reached the barricade it crashed down and, carrying me with it, pinned me fast.
Looking out between the barrels, I saw what froze my heart with horror. In the fall Graeme had wound his arms about his enemy and held him in a grip so deadly that he could not strike; but Graeme’s strength was failing, and when I looked I saw that Idaho was slowly dragging both across the slippery floor to where the knife lay. Nearer and nearer his outstretched fingers came to the knife. In vain I yelled and struggled. My voice was lost in the awful din, and the barricade held me fast. Above me, standing on a barrel-head, was Baptiste, yelling like a demon. In vain I called to him. My fingers could just reach his foot, and he heeded not at all my touch. Slowly Idaho was dragging his almost unconscious victim toward the knife. His fingers were touching the blade point, when, under a sudden inspiration, I pulled out my penknife, opened it with my teeth, and drove the blade into Baptiste’s foot. With a blood-curdling yell he sprang down and began dancing round in his rage, peering among the barrels.
‘Look! look!’ I was calling in agony, and pointing; ‘for heaven’s sake, look! Baptiste!’
The fingers had closed upon the knife, the knife was already high in the air, when, with a shriek, Baptiste cleared the room at a bound, and, before the knife could fall, the little Frenchman’s boot had caught the uplifted wrist, and sent the knife flying to the wall.
Then there was a great rushing sound as of wind through the forest, and the lights went out. When I awoke, I found myself lying with my head on Graeme’s knees, and Baptiste sprinkling snow on my face. As I looked up Graeme leaned over me, and, smiling down into my eyes, he said—
‘Good boy! It was a great fight, and we put it up well’; and then he whispered, ‘I owe you my life, my boy.’
His words thrilled my heart through and through, for I loved him as only men can love men; but I only answered—