There was no word spoken.  Lawler saw the gun in Singleton’s hand.  He leaped quickly to one side as Singleton pulled the trigger—­the smoke streak touching his clothing as he moved.  He leaped again as Singleton shot at him a second time.  This time he was so close to Singleton that the powder burned his face.  And before Singleton could shoot again Lawler struck—­with the precision and force that he had put into his blows that day in the schoolhouse.

Singleton reeled headlong across the room, bringing up against the farther wall, striking it with his head and tumbling to the floor beside it.

Then, his lips set stiffly, his eyes flaming with a fire that brought terror into Warden’s heart, he faced the other.

“Now, damn you; I’ll teach you to make war on women!” He leaped forward, striking at Warden with terrific energy.

* * * * *

Still struggling in Shorty’s arms, Ruth heard Singleton’s shots.  She broke away from Shorty, noting with dull astonishment that Shorty seemed almost to have permitted it, and ran down the street toward Warden’s office.  As she ran she heard a tumult behind her, and steps close beside her.  She glanced swiftly over her shoulder, to see Shorty beside her.  The giant was taking steps that dwarfed hers, and while she looked at him he drew past her.  She heard him muttering as he passed—­caught his words: 

“Lawler ain’t got no gun—­I seen that!”

She ran faster than ever at that, and when Shorty reached the foot of the stairs leading to Warden’s office she was at his heels.

There were other men behind her—­a multitude.  She felt them pressing close behind her as she ran up the stairs.  But she did not look back, for she heard sounds of a conflict in Warden’s office—­the thud and jar of blows, the crashing of furniture overturned and smashed; the scuffling of feet on the floors—­and screams of rage—­in Warden’s voice.

When she reached the top of the stairs and looked into the room between Shorty’s shoulder and the door jamb, she screamed with apprehension.  For she saw Singleton, with blood dripping from a huge gash in his cheek, in the act of picking up a pistol that, evidently, had fallen on the floor during the fight that must have raged in the room.

Singleton’s face was hideous with rage.  It was evident that he did not see Shorty and herself at the door—­and that he had not heard the tramping of the many feet on the stairs.  He was apparently oblivious to everything but the fact that the pistol was there and that he had an opportunity to use it.

Ruth saw Warden and Lawler fighting in a corner.  Warden’s back was against the wall, near the stove.  He was facing the door.  His lips were lacerated, drooling blood, his eyes were puffed and blackened, and he was screaming and cursing insanely.

As Ruth watched, her gaze taking in the wreck of the room—­and Singleton picking up the pistol—­she saw Lawler strike Warden—­a full sweeping blow that sent forth a sodden deadening sound as it landed.