Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-11-14


Framed In the open door stood Roy
Glenister watching him.
McNamara's establishment was so
genuine that he leaped to his feet.
faced about, and prompted by score
tive instinct swung to the safe door as
though to guard its contents. He had
acted upon the impulse before realiz-
ing that his weapon was inside and
that now, although the door was not
locked, it would require that one dan
gerous, yes, fatal second to open it.
The two men stared at each other
for time, silent and malignant. their
glances meeting like blades; In the old
er mans face look of defiance. 10 the.
gounger's logged and grim purposed
enmity- McNamara's first perturba-
ton left him calm. alert. dangerous.
whereas the continued contemplation
Of his enemy worked in Glenister to
destroy his composure, and his purpose
blazed forth unhidden.
He stood there unkempt and soiIed.
the clean sweep of jaw and throat
overgrown with three days black
stubbIe. his hair wet and matted, his
whole left side foul with clay where
he had fallen In the darkness. A mud
dy red streak spread downward from a
cut above his temple, beneath bis eyes
were sagging folds, while the flicker at
his mouth corners betrayed the high
nervous pitch to which he was keyed.
Il have come for the last act, Nc
Namara. Now we'll have it out man
to man.
The politician shrugged his shoulders
You have the drop on me. am I'M
armed" At which the miners face
lighted fiercely, and he chuckled.
Z. "Ah, that's almost too good to be
true I have dreamed about such
thing, and I have been hungry to feel
your throat since the first time saw
you. It's grown on me till shooting
wouldn't satisfy me. Ever had the
feeling? Well, I'm going to choke the
life out of you with my bare hands,
Mcnamara squared himself.
II wouldn't advise you to try 1t. I
have lived longer than you. and was
never beaten. but I know the feeling
you speak about. | have it now
His eyes roved rapidly up and down
the others form, noting the lean thighs
and close drawn belt, which lent the
appearance of sparseness. belied only
by the neck and shoulders He had
beaten better men. and he reasoned
that If 1t came to physical test In
these cramped quarters his own great
weight would more than Offset any su-
perior agility the miner might possess.
The longer be looked the more he
yielded to his hatred of the man before
him and the more cruelty be longed to
iatisfy it.
take off your coat" said Glenister.
Nov turn around All right just
wanted to see If you were lying about
your gun.
''I'll kill you." cried Mcnamara.
Clenister laid his six shooter upon the
safe and slipped off his own wet gar
ment The difference was more mark
ed now and the advantage more
strongly with tile receiver Though
they had avoided allnsion to 1t. each
knew that this fight had nothing to
do with the Midas and each realized
whence sprang their fierce enmity.
And it was meet that they should
come to@etAer thus II had been the
one certain ard logical event which
they had felt inevitably approaching
from long back And it was fitting,
moreoveg. that they should fight alone
and unwitnessed, armed only with the
weapons of the wilderness. for they
were both of the far, free lands. were
both OF the fighters type and had
both warred for the FIRST great prize.
They met ferociously. Mcnamara
aimed a fearful blow. but Glenister
met him squarely. beating him of
cleverly. stepping in aud out. his
arms swinging loosely from his shout
ders like whalebone withes tipped with
lead. He moved lightly. bis footing
made doubly secure by reason OF his
soft soled mukluks Recognizing his
opponents greater weight. he under
took merely to stop the headlong
rushes and remain out OF reach as
long as possible. He struck the poll
ticiaD fairly in the mouth so that the
mans head snapped back and bis ists
went wild. then. before the arms
could grasp him, the miner had brok-
en- ground and whipped another blow
across hut Mcnamara was q boxer
himself, so covered and blocked it.
The politician spat through his mash
ed lips and rushed again. sweeping
his opponent from his feet Again
Glenister's fist shot forward like
lump OF granite. but the other came on
head down and the blow finished too
high. landing on the big mans brow
A sudden darting agony paralyzed
Roy's hand, and he realized that he
had broken the metacarpal bones and
that henceforth it would be useless.
Before he could recover Mcnamara
had passed under his extended arm
and seized him By the middle. then.
thrlsting his left leg back OF R0y's