Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-03-03

Reckoning no consequences, staying for
no parley or diplomacy, he sprang ana as
he sprang, he struck.
The blow went home on the smiths jaw
with smash like pile driver Hyemba,
reelng swung at him--no skill. no science,
just wild, barbaric. sledge- hammer sweep.
1t would have killed had it landed, but
Allan was not there. In point of tactics
the twentieth century met the tenth,
And as the smith whirled TO recover a
terrible lefthander met him just below the
short ribs.
With a grunt the man doubled, sprawled
and fell BY some strange atavism. which
he never afterward could understand. Allan
counted. in the Folks tongue. Hath. ko,
zem baku-" and so up to "Lamnu"-tef.
Still the smith did not rise. but only lay
and groaned and sought to catch the breath
that would not come.
81 have won!" cried Allan in a loud
voice Here. YOU people, take this greun,
this child. away, And let there be no
further idle talk of dead law--for surely.
in your custom, law dies when its cham
pion is beaten! Come, quick, away with
him :"
Two stout men came forward, bowed to
Allan with hands clasped upon their breasts
in signal Of fresh allegiance and without
ceremony took the insensible smith, neck
and heels, and lugged him off as though he
had only been n net heavily laden with
fish.
The crowd opened in awed silence to let
them pass BY Che glare Allan noticed that
the mans jaw hung oddly awry, even as the
obeah's had hung, in Madison forest
'Jove, what a wallop that must have
been" thought he, now perceving for the
first time that his knuckles were cut and
bleeding. "Old Monahan himself taught
me that in the Harvard gym thousand
md ott plyg tfc,,
settled, mighty quick; and H'yemba won't
have much to say for few weeks at least.
Not till his jawbone knits again, anyhow -
Upon his arm he felt a hand. Turning,
he saw Vreenya, the aged counselor.
surely, master, he shall not live, now
you have conquered him? The boiling pit
awaits. 1t is our custom-if you will :"
Allan only shook his head
All customs change these times, he
answered. Il am your law This mans
life is needed, for he has good skill with
metals. He shall live, but never shall he
speak before the Folk again. l have said
IL :"
To the waiting throng he turned again.
"Ye have witnessed !" he cried, in, a loud
voice. Now have fear OF me, your master I!
Once in the Battle of the Walls ye beheld
death raining from my fre-bow Once ye
watched me vanauish your ruler. even the
great kamrou himself, and fling him far
into the pit that bos. And now for the
third time, ye have seen. Remember well %
A stir ran through the multitude. He
felt its potent meaning, and he understood
II am the law" he flung at them once
more. Declare it, all! Repeat"
The thousand -throated chorus: Thou
art the aw" doomed upward through the
fog rolled nightly against the towering
cliff and echoed thunderike across the hot,
black sea-
1T is we'll - he cried "One more sleep,
and then--then | choose from among We
two for the journey, two of your boldest
and best. And that shall be the first Jour-
ney of many, up to the better places that
await ye. far beyond the pit !"
Straining his eyes in the night, pierced
only by the electric beam that ran and
quavered rapidly over the broken forest
tops below, Allan peered down and far
ahead. The fire. the signa-fire he had told
told Beatrice to build upon the ledge
would he never sight it?
CONTINUED MONDAY