Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-03-20

In a flash Rowland stepped a little
to n side and shot out a crashing
blow that caught Jean on the side of
the head and sent him fiat on his back.
Half stunned, Croisset came TO his feet.
It was the first time that he had ever
come into contact with science. He was
puzzled. His head rang, and for a few
moments he was dizzy. He darted in
again, in his old, quick, cat-iike "a
and received a blow hat dazed him.
This time he kept his feet.
st am sure now that I am going to
kill you, M'sieur," he said, as coolly
as before.
There was something terribly calm
and decisive in his voice. He was not
excited. He was not afraid. His fingers
did not go near the weapon IN his belt,
and slowly the smile faded from How
lands lips as Jean circled about him.
He had never fought a man of this
kind; never had he looked on the ap-
| palling confidence that was in his an
~tagonist's eyes. From those eyes.
rather than from the man, he found
himself slowly ~retreating. They fol-
lowed him. never taking themselves
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and grew deeper. Two dull red spots
began to glow In Croisset's cheeks,
and he laughed softly when he sud-
denly leaped in so that Rowland struck
at him-and missed. He knew what to
expect now. And Rowland knew what
to expect.
1t was the science of one world pitted
against that of another-the science of
civilization against that of the wilder
ness. Rowland was trained in his art.
For sport Jean had played with
wounded lynx; his was the quickness of
sight, of instlnct-the quickness of the
great north loon that had often played
this same game with his rifie-flre, of
the sledge-dog whose ripping 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.
ST am going to kill you" he said
again.
To this point Rowland had remained
: cool. Self-possesston In his science he
knew to be half the battle. But he
felt In him now a slow, swelling anger.
The smiling fash in Jeans eyes began
to irritate him; the fearless. haunting
CLEAN of his teeth. his ~audacious conf
dence. put him on edge. Twice again
he struck out swiftly, but Jean had
come and gone like a dart. His 1.-THE
body, fifty pounds lighter than How
lands, seemed to be that of a boy
lodging him In some tantalizing sport.
The Frenchman made no effort at at
tack; his were the tactics of the wolf
at the heels Of the bull moose, Of the
lynx before the prongs of a ~cornered
buck-tiring, worrying. ceaseless.
Howland's striking muscles began &c
ache and his breath was growing
shorter with the exertions which
seemed to have no effect on Croisset
For a few moments he took the aggres-
sive. rushing Jean to the stove, behind
the table, twice around the room
striving vainly to drive him into q
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 wind-broken gasps. Jean drew
nearer. smiling. ferociously cool.
81 am going to Lin you, M'seur.' he
repeated again.
Rowland dropped his arms. his
fingers relaxed, and he forced his
breath between his lips as if he were
on the point of exhaustion. There were
still a few tricks in his science. and
these, he knew. were about his last
cards. He backed into a corner, and
Jean followed, his eyes flashing a steely
light, his body growing more and more
tense.
Now. M'seur, I am going to kill
you,' he said in the same low voice
II am going to break your neck"
Rowland backed against the wall
partly turned as If fearing the others
attack, and yet without strength &c
repel it. There was a contemptuous
smile on Croisset's lips as he poised
himself for an instant. Then he leaped
in, and as his fingers gripped at the
others throat Howland's right arr
shot upward in a deadly short-arm
punch that caught his antagonist
under the jaw. without a sound Jean
staggered back, tottered for a moment
on his feet. and fell to the floor. Fifty
seconds later he opened his eyes to
find his hand bound behind his back
and Rowland standing at his feet.
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