Merton of the Movies | Page 5

the next moment she
was writhing in his grasp.
Little availed her puny strength. Helpless as an infant was the fair New
York society girl as Snake le Vasquez, foulest of the viper breed, began
to force his attention upon her. The creature's hot kisses seared her
defenseless cheek. "Listen!" he hissed. "You are mine, mine at last.
Here you shall remain a prisoner until you have consented to be my

wife." All seemed, indeed, lost.
"Am I too late, Miss St. Clair?"
Snake le Vasquez started at the quiet, grim voice.
"Sapristi!" he snarled. "You!"
"Me!" replied Buck Benson, for it was, indeed, no other.
"Thank God, at last!" murmured Estelle St. Clair, freeing herself from
the foul arms that had enfolded her slim young beauty and staggering
back from him who would so basely have forced her into a distasteful
marriage. In an instant she had recovered the St. Clair poise, had
become every inch the New York society leader, as she replied, "Not
too late, Mr. Benson! Just in time, rather. Ha, ha! This--this gentleman
has become annoying. You are just in time to mete out the punishment
he so justly deserves, for which I shall pray that heaven reward you."
She pointed an accusing finger at the craven wretch who had shrunk
from her and now cowered at the far side of the wretched den. At that
moment she was strangely thrilled. What was his power, this strong,
silent man of the open with his deep reverence for pure American
womanhood? True, her culture demanded a gentleman, but her heart
demanded a man. Her eyes softened and fell before his cool, keen gaze,
and a blush mantled her fair cheek. Could he but have known it, she
stood then in meek surrender before this soft-voiced master. A tremor
swept the honest rugged face of Buck Benson as heart thus called to
heart. But his keen eyes flitted to Snake le Vasquez.
"Now, curse you, viper that you are, you shall fight me, by heaven! in
American fashion, man to man, for, foul though you be, I hesitate to
put a bullet through your craven heart."
The beautiful girl shivered with new apprehension, the eyes of Snake le
Vasquez glittered with new hope. He faced his steely eyed opponent for
an instant only, then with a snarl like that of an angry beast sprang
upon him. Benson met the cowardly attack with the flash of a powerful

fist, and the outlaw fell to the floor with a hoarse cry of rage and pain.
But he was quickly upon his feet again, muttering curses, and again he
attacked his grim-faced antagonist. Quick blows rained upon his
defenseless face, for the strong, silent man was now fairly aroused. He
fought like a demon, perhaps divining that here strong men battled for a
good woman's love. The outlaw was proving to be no match for his
opponent. Arising from the ground where a mighty blow had sent him,
he made a lightning-like effort to recover the knife which Benson had
taken from him.
"Have a care!" cried the girl in quick alarm. "That fiend in human form
would murder you!"
But Buck Benson's cool eye had seen the treachery in ample time. With
a muttered "Curse you, fiend that you are!" he seized the form of the
outlaw in a powerful grasp, raised him high aloft as if he had been but a
child, and was about to dash him to the ground when a new voice from
the doorway froze him to immobility. Statute-like he stood there,
holding aloft the now still form of Snake le Vasquez.
The voice from the doorway betrayed deep amazement and the
profoundest irritation:
"Merton Gill, what in the sacred name of Time are you meanin' to do
with that dummy? For the good land's sake! Have you gone plumb
crazy, or what? Put that thing down!"
The newcomer was a portly man of middle age dressed in ill-fitting
black. His gray hair grew low upon his brow and he wore a parted
beard.
The conqueror of Snake le Vasquez was still frozen, though he had
instantly ceased to be Buck Benson, the strong, silent, two-gun man of
the open spaces. The irritated voice came again:
"Put that dummy down, you idiot! What you think you're doin', anyway?
And say, what you got that other one in here for, when it ought to be
out front of the store showin' that new line of gingham house frocks?

Put that down and handle it careful! Mebbe you think I got them things
down from Chicago just for you to play horse with. Not so! Not so at
all! They're to help show off goods, and that's what I want 'em doin'
right now. And for Time's sake, what's