The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-23

strong wooden door was shivered u
driven i'm. They stepped across IL; Grettir
sponsive whinny. Grettir dashed into the
stall and found his horse dead!
"Now," said Thorhall. ~ will give you
another horse. You had better ride home
Mt once"
"Not at all. My horse has been killed.
and must avenge IT," So Grettir re-
At bedtime Thorhall crept into n
locked bedstead beside the hall; hut
Grettir merely wrapped himself up In a
long fur cloak and flung himself on a
bench.
There was q Are burning on the hearth.
and by the red light Grettir looked up at
the rafters of the blackened roof. The
smoke escaped by q louvre in the middle.
The wind whistled m%ournfully. The win
dows admitted q sickly yellow glare from
the full O A dog began to bark.
Then the cat, sitting deInurely watching
back and bristiine tail, and darted behiud
some chests.
At this momont he heard something
that shook all coming sleep out OF him.
He heard q heavy read beneath which
the snow cracked. Every football went
straight to his heart. A crash overhead!
The strange ~visitant had scrambled on the
turf roof, and was walking over that. For
a moment the chimney gap was COM
pletely darkened-the monster was look
ing down-the flash of the red fire illum.-
mated the horrible face with its lack
lustre eyes. Then the o shone in
again and the heavy tramp Of Clam was
heard.
Then Grettir heard his steps coming
nearer, then b swapping of wood showed
that Clam was destroying the clubhouse
doors. Presently the tread was heard
again approaching this time the main
entrance. Grettir thought he could dis
tinguish a pair of great hands thrust i'm
ment he heard a loud snap-a plank had
been torn out of place, m the light of
the moon shown in.
There was a cross beam 10 the door.act-
ing as a bolt. Against the gray light
Grettir saw a huge black arm thrust in
trying to remove the bar. Ii was done
the broken door was driven and went
down on the i~looriin shivers. Now Gret-
tir could see a tall dark figure, almost
naked, with with wild locks of hair about
the head, standing In the doorway! That
was but a minute and hen Clam came i'm
s;ealthily. The figure Grettir saw was
unlike anything he had seen before. Rags
hung from shoulders and waist, the long
wolf-gray hair was matted. The eyes
were staring and strange. Grettir could
hear Thorhall trembling and breathing
fast.
Presently CLAIMS eyes rested on the
shaggy bundle by the big seat on the
bench. He stepped toward il, and Grettir
felt him groLing bou him.. hen Grit
tr took hold of one end of the fur cloak
and began to pull at il. The cloak did
not give. Clam seemed puzzled; he went
to the other end of the bundle and began
To pull at tina Grettir held to theb bench
so that he was not moved himself, but
the fur cloak was torn in half and
the strange visitant staggered back
holding the portion wonderingly before
his eyes. Before he could recover from
his surprise Grettir started to his feet,
bent his body, flung his arms round Clam,
n driving his head into the breast of the
visitor tried to bend h m backward and SO
snap his spine. In vain! the cold hands
grasped Grettir's arms n tore them
from their hold. Grettir clasped them
again about CLAIMS body, and then Clam
threw his round Grettir, and they began
to wrestle. Grettir saw Clam was trying
to drag him to the door. He therefore
benches and posts, but the posts gave way
and the benches were torn from their
places.
Each momen he was being dragged
nearer To the door. Sharply twisting him.
self loose, GrettIr flung his arms round a
beam of the roof. He was dragged of his
feet at once. Clam clenched him aboLt
the waist and tore at him to get him loose.
Every tendon m Grettir's breast was
strained still he held on. The nails of Clam
cut INTO his side like knives. then Grettir's
hand rave way. He could endure the
strain no longer, and Clam drew him
toward the door,.
Now, the door posts we're of stone and
the beam that had served as bolt, slid into
hollows on either side of the door posts
As the wrestlers neared the opening
Grettir planted both his feet against th,
stone posts u put his arm around Clam
He called to Thorhall, but Thorhali was
too frightened to leave his refuge.
NOW" thought Grettir, "if j only could
break his back!' Then drawing Clam Il
him by the middle, he put his head be
meath the chin of his opponentand forcet
bach the head. IL he could only drive the
head far enough back he would break hi,
neck.
At that moment both door posts CAV.
way; down crashed the gable trees, rip.
ping away beams and rafters.
Clam fell on his back outside the door
Grettir on top of him. Large, whit,
clouds chased Zach other across the sky
Grettir's strength was failing, his hand'
quivered on the snow, and he knew hs
could not support himself from dropping
fiat on the dreadful visitant.
Then Clam spoke: "You have done Ill
matching with me: know now that nevel
shall you be stronger han to-day, ant
that TO your dying day you arr
in the dark you will see my eyes staring a
you, SO that for very horror you will no
dare TO be alone"
AT this m Grettir saw his shor
sword slip from his belt into the snow
He put out his hand, clutched the handle
n with a blow cut oil CLAIMS head.
Thornhall came out at this juncturc, hi,
face blanched. When he saw how III,
fray had ended he ~joyfully assisted Gret
tr to roll the dead man Ia tho TON of N nil,
of faggots, collected tor winter fuel. Fir,
was applied. and soon far down the Wa
terdale the flames of the pyre startle,
folks, making them wonder what new
horror was being enacted i'm the Vale %
Shadows.
And now we may well ask. what trutl
is there i'm the story? That there is
basis of truth cannot be denied.
EIuriher nm The valleN stood nm oil for