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--

'I could not keep them back.'

'It was well done,' he said; and I felt proud. I confess I was thankful
to be so well out of it, for Graeme got off with a bone in his wrist
broken, and I with a couple of ribs cracked; but had it not been for the
open barrel of whisky which kept th