The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-10-14
CHAPTER XVI.


tale to tell of good rousine
fight" between boys or mer
VINO fight In the good old English
way" according to a model set fol
nights In books long before Tom Brown
went to Rugby.
Ihere are seconds and rounds and
rules Of fair play. and always there Is
great good feeling In the end-thougt
sometimes. to vary the model, 1.-THE
butcher defeats the hero-and the
ehronicler who stencils this fine OLD
pattern on his page is certain of an
plause as the stirrer of "red blood. .
| There Is no surer recipe.
But when Herman and Vermap sci
tot the record must be no more thar
Few fragments left by the expurga
tor. 1t has been perhaps sufficiently
suggested that the alteration In Mr.
| Scnohelds stable opened with mayhem
In respect to the aggressor's nose. Elk.
pressing vocally his Indignation and
the extremity of his panied surprise
Mr.. Collins stepped backward, holding
his left hand over his nose and strik.
Ing at Herman with his right. Then
Verman hit him with the rake.
Verman struck from behind. He struck
as hard as he could. And he struck
with the tines down. For. In his sim
pie. direct African way he wished to
kill his enemy. and he wished to kill
! him as soon as possible. That was bis
single. earnest purpose.
On this account. Rupe Collins was
peculiarly unfortunate. He was plucky
and he enjoyed conflict. but neither his
ambitions nor his anticipations had
ever included murder. He had not
learned that an habitually aggressive
person runs the danger of collidine
with beings in one of those lower
stages Of evolution wherein theories
about hitting below the belt" have
not yet made their appearance.
The rake glanced from the back of
RUPEES head to his shoulder, but it fell
ed him. Both darkies jumped full upon
him instantly, and the three rolled and
twisted upon the stable floor, unloosine
upon the air sincere maledictions close.
ly connected with complaints of cruel
| and unusual treatment, while certain
expressions Of feeling presently ema.
mating from Herman and Verman indi
Gated that Rupe Collins. in this ex.
tremity, was proving himself not toe
slavishly addicted to fighting by rule
Dan and Duke. installing all for mirth
barked gayly.
From the painting. pounding. yelling
heap issued words and phrases hither
to quite unknown to Penrod and Sam
also hoarse repetition in the voice
Of Rupe concerning his ear left 1t not
to be doubted that additional mayhem
was taking place. Appalled,. the two
spectators retreated to the doorway
nearest the yard, where they stood
dumbly watching the cataciysm.
The struggle increased in primitive
simplicity. Time and again the howl
ing Rupe got to his knees, only to &c
their own way assisted him to a more
reclining position. Primal forces op
Grated here. and the two blanched
slightly higher products of evolution
! Sam and Penrod. no more thought OF
interfering than they would have
thought Of interfering with an earth
quake
AT last out of the ruck rose verman
disfgured and maniacal. With a wild
eye he looked about him for his trusty
rake, but Penrod in horror had long
since thrown the rake out into the
yard. Naturally II had not seemed
necessary to remove the lawn mower
The frantic eye of verman fell upon
the lawn mower, and instantly be
leaped to its handle. Shrilling a word
less warcry. he charged. propelling the
whirling. deafening knives straight
upon the prone legs Of Rupe Collins
The lawn mower was sincerely intend
ed to pass longitudinally over the body
of Mr. Collins from heel to head. and
it was the time for death song
Black Valkyrie lowered In the shrek
ing air.
"Cut his gizzud outr' shrieked Her.
man. urging on the whiring knives.
They touched and Iacerated the
shin Of Rupe. as. with the supreme
agony of effort a creature In mortal
peril puts forth before succumbing, be
tore himself free Of Herman and got
upon his feet
Herman was up as quickly. He
leaped to the wall and seized the gar
den scythe that hung there.
I'm GO cut you gizzud out" he an
nounced definitely. IAN eat it!'
Rupe Collins had never run from
anybody Except his father, in his life
He was not a coward, but the present
situation was very. very unusual. BE
was already in badly dismantled
condition, and yet Herman and Yer
man seemed discontinued with theil
work. Verman was swinging the grass
cutter about for new charge. appar
emily still wishing to NOW him, and
Herman had made a quite plausible
statement about what be intended to
do with the scythe.
Rupe paused but for an extremely
condensed survey of the horrible ad
vance of the brothers and then. utter
ing a blood curdled scream Of fear
ran out Of the stable and up the alley