The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-06
TheSpoilers.
NIX 3. DAAcA
Copyri3ht fSQ By Ran n Beach.



though to guard its contents. He had
ing that his weapon was Inside aud
that new, although the door was not
locked, II 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, in the
younger'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 Glenlster TO
destroy his composurc, and his purpose
blazed forth unhidden.
He stood there unkempt and soiled,
the clean sweep OF jaw and throat
overgrown with three days black
stubble. his hair wet and matted. his
whole left side foul with clay where
he had fallen in the darkness. \ mud
dy red streak spread downward from n
cut above his temple, beneath his eyes
were sagging folds, while the flicker at
his mouth corners betrayed the high
nervous pitch TO which he was Keyed
II have come for the last act. Nc
Namara. Now we'll have IL out man
TO man"
The politician shrugged his shoulders
You have the drop on me. am ua.
armed" At which the miners face
lighted fierccly. and he chuckled
"Ah, that's almost too good 10 be
true. have dreamed about such n
thing and | 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.
Il wouldn't advise you TO try II. I
have lived longer than you. and was
never beaten, but | know the feeling
you speak about. ] have IT now"
His eyes roved rapidly up and down
the others fern, 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 IL II came TO n physical test In
these cramped quarters his own great
weight would more. than Offset any SUI
perior agility the miner might possess.
The longer he looked the more he
yielded to his hatred of the man before
him and the more cruelty he longed to
satisfy IT,
Take Off your coat" said Glenister
"Now turn around. All Fight! | just
wanted to see II you We're lying about
your gun"
"Tll kill your cried Mcnamara.
Glenister laid his six shooter upon the
safe and slipped OF his own wet gar
ment The difference was more mark
ed now and the advantage more
strongly with the receiver. Though
they had avoided allusion to 1t, each
knew that this fight had nothing "a
do with the Midas and each realized
whence sprang their fierce enmity
And IL was meet that they should
come torether thus. 1t had been the
one certain and logical event which
they had felt inevitably approaching
| from long back. And II was fitting,
moreover, 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 off
cleverly. stepping In and out, bis
arms swinging loosely from his shout
ders like whalebone wlthes tipped with
lead. He moved lightly, his 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 rs
long as possible. He struck the poll
tician fairly in the mouth so that the
mans head snapped back and his fists
went wild, then, before the arms
could grasp him, the miner had brok-
en- ground and whipped another blow
across, but Mcnamara was boxer
himself, so covered and blocked II.
The politician spat through hisGnash-
ed lips and rushed again. sweeping
his opponent from his feet. Again
Glenister's fist shot forward like a
lump OF granite, but the other came on
head down and the blow finished too
high, landing on the big mans brow.
A sudden darling agony paralyzed
Roy's hand, and he realized that he
had broken the metacarpal bones and
that henceforth II would be useless.
Before he could recover Mcnamara
had passed under his extended arm
and seized him by the middle, then,
thrusting his left leg back OF Roy's,
he whirled him from his balance, fling
ing him clear and with resistless force.
1t seemed that fatal fall must fol
low, but the youth squirmed catlike
in the air, landing with set muscles
which rebounded like rubber. Even
so, the receiver was upon him before
he could rise, reaching for the young
mans throat with his heavy hands.
Roy recognized the fatal strange"
hold and, seizing his enemy's wrists,
endeavored to tear them apart, but
his left hand was useless. so with
mighty wrench he freed himself. and,