Baxter Springs news., 1917-07-26

uiu neAu, ana Then lOOkeu ukuin W Iiio
expectant and excited faces OF the walt
ing men. For few moments Kazan
stood stiff-legged, facing the Dane.
Then his shoulders dropped, and he.
too, coolly faced the crowd that had ex-
pected a fight TO the death. A laugh or
derlslOn swept through the closely seat
cd rows. Catcalls. jeering, taunts flung
at McTrigger aud Harker, and angry
voices demanding their money back
mingled with q tumult OF growing dis
content. Sandy's face was red with
modification and rage. The blue veins
In HarkeF's forehead had swollen twice
their normal size. He shook his fist In
the face OF the crowd, and shouted:
"Nvaiti Give 'em q chance. you
foolsl"
AT his words every voice was stilled.
Kazan had turned. He was facing the
Dane. The Dane had turned his eyes
to Kazan. Cautiously, prepared for
lunge or a sldestep, Kazan advanced
q 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
a hundred fights, and fearless to the
point Of death, the two half-wolf VIC
tins 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 will
derness lowered 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 u step
separated sthem, and when men ex-
pected 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 trem-
bled, and under his breath he cursed.
The Danes throat was open to Kazan.
But between the beasts had passed the
volceless pledge Of peace. Kazan did
not leap. He turned. And shoulder to
shoulder-splendld In their contempt Of
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 q revolver and
leveled 1t at the Dane. Above the tu'
multi Of the crowd q single voice
stopped him.
"Holdp It demanded. "Hold-in the
name Of the law!"
For q 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. 1t was he who had spoken.
He was holding up Q hand, command
ing silence and attention. On the chair
beside him stood another man. He was
thin, with dropping shoulders, and a
pale smooth face-a little man, whose
physique and hollow cheeks told moth
ing 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
low and quiet:
"Tll give the owners five hundred
dollars for those dogs" he said.
Every man in the room heard the Of
fer. 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. "l'n give the owners five hundred
dollars"
Harker raised hand.
make 1t six" he said. make it six
and they're yours"
The little man hesitated. Then he
nodded.
'I'll give you six hundred" he
agreed.
Murmurs of discomfort rose through
out the crowd. Harker cliEibed,tO the
edge of the platform.
1--WE amt to blame because they
wouldn't fight" he shouted, "but II
there's any Of you small enough to
want your money back you can git 1t
as you 60 out. The dogs laid down on
us, that's all. We amt to blame"
The little man was edglEg his way
between the chairs, accompanied by
the sergeant Of police. With his pale
face close to the sapling bars Of the
cage he looked ut 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. 'It's big price,
but we'll charge 1t to the Smithsonian,
lads. I'm going to need couple OF
fOur-foOted friends Of your moral cali
ber."
And no one knew why Kazan and the
Dane drew nearer to the little sclen-
lists side of the cage as he pulled out
a big roll of bills and counted out SIX
d.rt.-. Nn,, EIn rlyaV md Sandy