Putnam patriot., 1911-10-20
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that ought to kill you. I had almost made up my mind to kill you when I came back to this Maison de Mort Rouge. IL Is the justice of God that kill your
 The two men circled like beasts in pit. Rowland in the attitude of box CT. Jean with his shoulders bent. his arms slightly curved at his side. the toes of his moccasined feet bearing his weight. Suddenly he launched him self at the others throat.
 ID flash Rowland stepped a little to one side and shot out a crushing blow that caught Jean on the side of the head and sent him fat on his back. Half stunned. Croisset came to his feet It was the first time that he had ever come into contact with sci- enee. He was puzzled. His head rang. and for a few moments he was dizzy He darted in again in his old. quick. eatlike way and received blow that dazed him. This time be kept his feet
 ..l am sure now that am going te kill you. m'seur." he said as cooliy as
 before.
 There was something terribly calm and decisive in his voice He was not excited. He was not afraid. His fn- gers did not go near the weapons in his belt. and slowly the smile faded from Howland's lips as Jean circled about him. He had never fought man of this kind: never had he looked on the appalling confidence that was in his antagonists eyes. From those
 eyes rather than from the man he found himself slowly retreating. They
 followed him. never taking themselves
 from his face. In them the fire re
 turned and grew deeper The dull
 red spots began to glow in Croisset's cheeks. and he laughed softly when he
 suddenly leaPed in so that Rowland
 struck at him-and missed He knew
 what to eXpect now And Rowland
 knew what to expect.
 It was the science of one world pit.
 ted against that of another-the sci
 ence of civilization against that of the
 wilderness. Rowland was trained in
 his art For sport Jean had played with wounded lynx. His was the quick
 ness of sight. of instinct-the quick
 ness of the great north loon that had often played this same game with his rife fire of the sledge dog whose rip
 ping fangs carried death so quickly
 that eyes could not follow. A third
 and a fourth time he came within
 distance. and Rowland struck and | missed
 T am going to kill you" he said l again
 To this point Rowland had remained cool. Self possession in his science he knew to be half the battle. But he | felt in him now a slow. swelling anger. The smiling flash in Jeans eyes began l to frritate him: the fearless, taunting gleam of his teeth. his audacious con | fidence put him on edge. Twice again | he struck out swiftly. but Jean had come and gone like dart Ills 1.-the I body. fifty pounds lighter than How | lands, seemed to be that of boy | lodging him in some tantalizing sport l The Frenchman made no efforI at at | tack. His were the tactics of the wolf | at the heels of the bull moose, of the | lynx before the prongs of eornered | buck-tirlng. worrying. eeaseless. | Howland's striking muscles began
 to ache, and his breath was growing | shorter with the exertions which seem | ed to have no effect on Croisset For | a few moments he took the aggressive. rushing Jean 10 the stove, behind the I,fable. twice around the room. striving | vainly to drive him into a corner. to | reach him with one of the sweeping | blows which Croisset evaded with the | lightning quickness of a hell diver. | When he stopped his breath came in I wind broken gasps. Jean drew nearer, l smiling. ferociously cool
 .'I am going 10 kill you. m'seur." he | repeated again.
 | Rowland dropped his arms. bis fin gers relaxed. and he forced his breath | between his lips as if he were on the l point of exhaustion. There were still 4 few tricks in his science. and these 1 he knew were about his last cards. l He backed into a corner. and Jean | followed. his eyes flashing steely | light his body growing more and l more tense.
 | Now. m'seur. am going to Kill vou." he said in the same low voice.
 ."I am going 10 break your neck. Rowland backed against the wall partly turned as if fearing the others 1 attack and yet without strength to repel it There was contemptuous
 smile on Croisset's lips as he poised | himself for an instant Then he leap
 ed in. and as his fingers gripped at
 the others throat Howland's right