“You damned fools”, he cried in a hoarse voice, “don’t you see that this man Forest is trying to save the life of that tricky and dangerous old tyrant? But I demand my share of the booty: the life of Leete and his daughter”.
“Do as you please, Bob”! the mob yelled.
“Leave this room, Forest”, commanded Robert Fest. “I have no grudge against you; but if you stand in my way you will have to suffer the consequences”.
“So long as I live you shall not commit murder in this house”, Mr. Forest replied. “You ought to be ashamed, Fest, of a conduct so unworthy of a gentleman”.
“Shut up, you fool”, Fest screamed with rage. “That hypocritical scoundrel, Leete, has bulldozed the people long enough. He must die, and if you don’t get out of our way, you will die with him”.
A rage I had never felt before carried me away. “What has this old gentleman done to challenge your thirst for his blood, you mean, cruel coward?” I cried, and jumped at Fest, trying to put my knife into his heart. But a dozen fists disarmed me, while Fest commanded: “Put that old Bostonian in a bag and dump him in the harbor. Although not a gentleman in the eyes of the professor I am a man of my word, and I have promised that resurrected spectre, I would drown him like a puppy when ever again he crossed my path”.
He lifted his axe and advanced towards Dr. Leete who remained silent, with his gray eyes fixed upon his brutal enemy.
Once more Forest tried to save the life of the leader of the administration, but in vain. A dirty looking ruffian buried a knife in Forest’s true and fearless breast and with the words: “We are even, Leete”, he sank to the floor. Edith struggled with two men who had seized her arms and were trying to lead her away when Fest’s axe descended on Dr. Leete’s gray head. Without a murmur he fell to the ground, while Edith with a loud cry fainted. Fest seized her around her waist.
“She refused to be my wife” he said with a satanic grin, “now she will be mine without the ridiculous ceremony of marriage”, and while stepping to the door with Edith’s lifeless body clasped by his left arm he said: “Kill every friend of the administration, boys. I will meet you at the city hall in an hour or so”.
I made a tremendous, desperate effort to shake off the men who kept me back; I uttered a despairing cry and—awoke in my bed, May 31, 1887. At my bedside a physician, and my servant Sawyer had been busy for some time awakening me from my deep mesmeric slumber. They had labored very hard until they succeeded, but more than an hour passed before I had regained my ability of reasoning, and then I felt greatly relieved.