Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-20

fighting cage. He stood blinking his eyes
in the brilliant light of the rejecting
lamps. He pricked up his ears when ne
saw Kazan. Kazan did not show his
fangs Neither revealed the expected ami
mostly. 1t was the first they had seen or
each other, and q murmur OF disappoint-
ment swept the ranks OF the 800 m 1. The
Dane remained as motlonless as rock
when Kazan was prodded from his own
cage into the fighting cage He did not
leap or snarl.
He regarded Razan with a dubious
questioning poise to his splendid head,
and then looked again to the expectant
and excited faces of the waiting men.
For a few moments Kazan stood stin-
legged. facing the Dane. Then his
shoulders dropped. and he too, coolly
faced the crowd that had expected
fight to the death, "A laugh of derision
swept through the closely seated rows.
Catcalls, jeering taunts flung at Nc
Trigger and Harlter, and angry voices
demanding their money back mingled
with n tumult OF growing discomfort.
Sandy's face was red with modification
and rage. The blue veins In Hnrkers
forehead had swollen twice their normal
size. He shook his fist in the face of the
crowd, and shouted
waltz Give 'em a chance, you dam
foolsl'
AT his words every voice was stilled
huge Dane. And the Dane had tur.ed
his eyes to KaSan. Cautiously, prepared
for a lunge or a sldestep, Kazan advanced
little. The Danes shoulders bristled.
He, too, advanced upon Kazan. Four
feet apart they stood rigid. One could
have heard whisper in the room now
Sandy and Harker. standing close to the
cage, scarcely breathed Splendid In
every limb and muscle, warriors OF
hundred fights, and fearless to the point
of death. the two half-wolf Victims Of
man stood facing each other. None
could see the questioning look In their
brute eyes. None knew that In this
thrilling moment the unseen hand of the
wonderful Spirit God of the wilderness
hovered between them, and that one of
its miracles was descending upon them.
1t was understanding. Meeting In the
open-rivals In the traces-they would
have been rolling in the throes OF terrific
battle. But here came that mute appeal
of brotherhood In the final moment,
when only step separated them, and
when men expected to see the first mad
lunge, the splendid Dane slowly raised
his head and looked over Kazan's back
through the glare of the lights. Harker
trembled. and under his breath he cursed.
The Danes throat was open to Knzan.
But between the beasts had passed the
voiceless pledge of peace Kazan did not
leap. He turned. And shoulder to
man-they stood and looked through the
bars of their prison into the one of
human faces.
A roar burst from the crowd-a roar
OF anger, OF demand, of threat. In his
rage Harker drew n revolver and lev
eled II at the Dane, Above the tumult
OF the crowd single voice stopped him.
"Holdl'' 1t demanded. "Hold-in the
name of the lawl
For a moment there was silence. Every
face turned in the direction of the voice.
Two men stood on chairs behind the last
row. One was Sergeant Brokaw, of the
Royal Northwest Mounted. II was he
who had spoken. He was holding UP n
hand, commanding silence and attention.
on the chair beside him stood another
man. He was thin, with dropping shoul-
ders and q pale smooth face--a little
man, whose physique and hollow cheeks
told nothing of the years he had spent
close UP along the raw edge of the Arctic.
1t was he who spoke now, while the SER
geant held up his hand. His voice was
!ow and quiet:
'TI give the owners $500 for those
dogs" he said.
Every man in the room heard the offer
Harker looked at Sandy. For an instant
their heads were close together.
"They won't fight. and they'll make
good teammates" the little man went on.
"Pll give the owners $500.
Harker raised a hand.
make 1t slx," he said Make It six
and they're yours" r ....
The little man hesitatcd. Then he nod
ded
"Tll give you $780," he agreed.
Murmurs OF discomfort rose throughout
the crowd. Harker climbed TO the edge
OF the platform.
I'VE amt to blame because they would
MT fight" he shouted. but II there's any
of you small enough to want your money
back you can git 1t as you go out. The
dogs laid down on US. that's all. We amt
to blame"
The little man was edging his way be-
tween the chairs, accompanied by the ser
geant Of police. With his pale face close
TO the sapling bars of the cage he looked
at Kazan and the big Dane,
II guess wen be good friends" he said,
and he spoke so low that only the dogs
heard his voice.
CONTINUED TOMORROW.