The Glenwood post., 1904-02-13

a muscle in his face as he saw his Tor.
midable adversary coming on, nor did
he Join in the murmurs that arose
among his people. Rather there came
CLINT into his eye. shade of exulta-
ton in his heavy face. Big chief"
he said. simply. Heap fght!"
You bet your blame life he'll heap
fght." said Curly, from his position
upon Juan's brawny breast as he held
him down. Hes good for any two of
you, you screechin' cowards!"
The Indian chief stood silent for
| moment, his arms folded across his
breast with that dramatic instinct
never absent from the Indians mind.
When he spoke, the scorn and bravado
in his voice were apparent, and his
words were understood though bis
speech was broken.
Big chief" he said. pointing to-
ward Juan. white Calf, me big
chief" pointing to himself Heap
hght!" Then he clinched his hands
and thrust them forward, knuckles
downward, the Indian sign for death,
fer falling dead or being struck down.
| With his delivery this was unmistak-
| able. Me" he said, me dead; white
man go. Big chief (meaning juan
him dead; Injun heap take horse" in
Guiding in the sweep of his gesture all
the outfit of the white men.
He wants to fight Juan by him
| self" cried Franklin.
Yes, and b'gad he's dom it for pure
| love of fight. and Murray for him."
| cried Batterleigh "Hurray. bows,
Give him a cheeri" And, carried away
for the moment by Batterleighs own
dare-deviltry. as well as a mans adj
miration for pluck, they did rise and
| give him a cheer They cheered old
White Calf, self-offered champion.
knowing that he had death in hun
dred blankets at his back.
There was no time to parley or to
decide. Juan the Mexican was regard
ing the Indian intently. Perhaps he
gathered but little of the real meaning
of that which had TRANSFERRED, but
something in the act or look of the
chieftain aroused and enraged him.
| With one swift upheaval of his giant
body, he shook off restraining hands
and sprang forward. He stripped off
| 'AS " Ia f'eAie bpPSi iIltHt, anu
as naked and more colossal than his
foe. Weapon of his own he had none.
nor cared for any. More primitive even
than his antagonist. he sought for
| nothing better than the first Weapon
of primeval man, a club which should
extend the sweep of his own arm.
From the hand of the nearest Indian
he snatched war club, not dissimilar
to that which hung at White Calls
wrist, stoneheaded beetle, grooved
and bound fast with rawhide to long.
slender, hardwood handle, which in
turn was sheathed in heavy rawhide
covering, shrunk into a steel-like re-
enforcement. Armed alike, naked
alike, savage alike, and purely animal
in the blind desire of battle the two
were at issue before a hand could
stay them. All chance of delay or sep
aration was gone. Both white and red
men fell back and made arena for a
unique and awful combat.
There was a moment of measuring.
that grim advance balance strucl;
when two stFOng men meet for a
struggle which for either may end
alone in death. The Indian was mag.
nificent in mien, superb in confidence
Fear was not in him. His vast figure
nonrished on sweet meat of the plains
fed by the pure air and developed by
continual exercise. showed like the
torso of minor Hercules, powerful
but not sluggish in its power. His
broad and deep chest, here and there
spotted with white scars, arched wide.
ly for the vital organs, but showed no
clogging fat. His legs were corded
and thin. His arms were elso slender
but showing full of easy-playing
muscles with power of rapid and un.
hampered strength. Two or three
inches above the six-feet mark he
stood as he cast OFF his war bonnet
and swept back hand over the stand.
ing eagle plumes whipped fast to his
braided hair. White Calf was him.
self giant.
Ito be contnued.)
| His Gentle Rebuke