Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1886-01-18

than i can ?" asked the Silesiar, point
ing to heavy stone at his feet
81 can better answer that when l
have seen you throw it" said Green
coat, as coolly as ever.
Michael Kratsch threw off his coat,
and barring an arm as thick as an or
dinary mans knee, hurled the stone
seven good yards away
The unknown threw, in his turn, so
carelessly that he seemed hardly to ex-
ert himself; yet the stone fell more
than foot beyond Kratsch's mark.
The Russians raised shout of tri-
umph, and Michael's face grew black
as midnight
"Are you as nimble with your feet as
with your hands ?" growled he, through
his set teeth.
"Try," said Greencoat, simply.
Kratsch pointed to broad ditch a
little way behind Them, and, taking
short run, shot Through the air like an
arrow. The ditch was fully fifteen feet
wide from bank to bank, yet he alight-
ed several inches beyond it.
"Pretty fair" said the unknown,
smiling; "but think can match it"
And SO he did, for his leap overpass-
ed Kratschs by six inches at least. AT
the sight of the heavy Russian faces
grinning from ear to ear over his dis
comhture, the Silesian's eyes flashed
fire.
"You haven't done me yet" he
roared, smart though you think your
self. Dare you wrestle fall with me1"
Without word the stranger threw
off his coat and stepped forward.
1t was grand and terrible sight to
see the two giants straining their mighty
limbs and seize each other with their
iron arms, both faces growing suddenly
hard and stern as they grappled. Every
man among the lookers-on held his
breath as that great struggle began.
Thrice did the Silesian make a tre-
mendous effort to throw his enemy
with strength that seemed able to
tear up an oak by the roots. But the
Russian, though shaken, stubbornly
kept his feet, until Kratsch paused,
breathless and utterly spent.
Then the watching eyes all around
saw the strangers arms tighten sudden
ly and Big Michaels huge, broad back
bend slowly in. Furiously he struggled
against the overmastering clutch, but
he had no more chance than an OK in
the coils of boa. At last the unknown
lifted him fairly off his feet, and hurled
him backward with such force that he
fell with dull crash against large
stone behind him, and lay stunned and
motionless.
Just then was heard a cry of "There
he is !" and several richly dressed men,
running up to the spot, bowed rever-
emily to the green-coated soldier.
"We have been looking for your
Majesty" said one of them, ''to give to
you these dispatches, which a courier
has just brought from Moscow"
At the word "Majesty," the Russian
recruits all fell on their knees, consid-
erably startled to find that this shabby
COdtCu PllNdtC WAS iiO OtnSI tildIl Tic
Gar himself, Peter the Great Of Rus
sia.
Sup with you, lads p cried Peter.
''Kneel to no one but God. You are
Russian soldiers, and Pm your general
that's all"
Then he turned to Kratsch, who lay
groaning on the ground, with his left
arm broken.
'Tll forgive thee this time, fellow"
said the Gar; "but if ever l catch thee
ill-treating child again, look out AS
for these soldiers of mine at whom you
laugh, within five years they shall be
the wonder of all Europe"
And so they we're.
-Ha,1e''s Young PsopA