The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-25

son, he had hoped to see Lassaphine. He
loved his Master and his Masters work,
yet he was barely %, with veins riotous-
~ full of young red blood. From the
first he felt Lassaphine's spell. A brief
while he had fought against it-thon he
surrendered everything but conscience to
its subtle sweetness. 1t was conscience
which had made him anger her: he was
jealousy afraid of his own heart. An
other man, in Sonny's case, would have
been privately told of his unseemly beha-
yior. Love and Lassaphine had con-
strained him to deal harshly, upon pain
of seeming to himself coward.
She must be furiously angry-still he
would not give her up-he would go to
her, and somehow make his peace. He
rode with eyes downcast, reins hanging
His horse, all at once, SHE'D violently,
then stood stock still. A glance told
him the reason-three other horsemeu
so aligned as to block the way. Jack
Childers was in the middle. Grant and
Haskell to right and left All three
faces We're set in a sort of steely white
ness. Instmctively MicklejOhn under.
stood, and in understanding comprehend
cd how much he had mistaken his voca-
ton. The elemental savage woke in him
love. religion. honor, ambition. were as
nothing by contrast with this lust for q
weapon, this mad desire to fight to the
death. He was wholly unarmed, in the
face of tremendous odds. He was better
horsed than any of the three, and to the
full as good a rider. His one chance was
TO ride them down, and run for it. 1t
was characteristic thur the thought of
turning back never once entered his
mind.
He gathered up the reins, bent his
head, whistled softly and spurred straight
at the line. Jack swerved his horse
the least bit. let the other get his head
well past, then leaning lightly tore the
reins from Micklejohn's grasp and threw
his horse upon its launches. The force
of impact swung his own horse around
III an instant. both animals had fallen
The riders, at hard grips, writhed free of
the struggling beasts, staggered, swayed
back and forth through n GREATNESS
heart breaking minute, then fell prone in
the rocky road.
Micklejohn stood six feet-he had
brawny broad shoulders and loose
jointed, long-reaching arms. But try as
he might, he~could not free himself
Jacks arms were locked about the big
chest like steel band, momentarily
tightening. Not n word had been spoken
None was needed. MickIejohn knew he
was paying for what they had taken
as an insult to Lassaphine. The knowl-
edge was mere feeling-he neither
thought nor planned consciously. Life
meant iighting-nothing more nor less
fighting an antagonist he ought to crush
with one arm, who yet seemed likely to
best him.
He shut his eyes, but opened them in
stantly. He could see nothing but rings
of red and yellow and green, melting
into blackness. Still Jacks grip held,
vise-like. agonizing His breath went no
lower than the throat-he must break
the grip or perish. With n mighty plung-
ing surge he got to his knees. loosed one
hand, clinched it and struck Childers Il
blow full in the face. Blood followed it,
red blood warm and sticky. Ii came in
a trickling jet, but did not dim the fire
in Jacks eyes. Still he held hard, sway
inc back and forth. foiling Micklejohn's
efforts to get upon his feet. He saw the
purple face, the staring eyes-he knew
the end was only minute away.
Triumph was in his grasp, Micklejohn