The Dolores star., 1920-06-11


about him and, holding him securely
with the left. pummeled him. Hilary
forgot his science and shot his right
upward between the arm and the body,
landing on Pierre's chin. Pierre reeled,
but he did not let go his hold. He
grasped Hilary like bear, hugging
him till the breath was nearly out of
his body, and forcing the point of his
chin in under Hilary's collar-bone.
Pierre was several years the older.
and winded by fast living. but his mus
cles were as firm as young mans.
Knowing that his enemy's science was
more than a match for his superior
strength. he maintained the clinch, but
gradually shifted his grasp upward,
first pinioning Hilary's arm, then grip
ping his shoulder. until he had him by
the throat.
Hilary, gasping under the relentless
pressure. saw the faces Of the lumber
men swim round him. He saw the tri-
umph and the joy, the mockery and
the hatred on each; there was no pity
for the American; many an old land
question. many racial conflict had be-
come incarnate In that fight under the
pines. Hilary realized that it was a
battle. not for the timber tract, but for
his own life.
Pierre's face grinned into his own
Indignantly, plastered with dust and
smeared with the sweat that drove
white furows across it. Hilary let his
hands fall Imply. For Just second
Pierre relaxed his grasp to shift 1t so
the thumb-knuckles should close on the
carotids. Then Hilary put all his
strength into a terrific drive with the
left. The blow caught Pierre between
the eyes. his arms went up, releasing
Hilary, and he tottered backward. The
yells Of the lumbermen. which had
been continuous. suddenly ceased.
Before Pierre could recover himself
Hilary let him have 1t with the right.
Pierre went to the ground. Hilary
still only half conscious, and hardly
seeing the PROSTATE body, drew In a
deep chestful of air. A black cloud
filled with dancing specks swan be-
fore his vision. Out Of 1t he saw the
face of one Of the nearest spectators.
1t was filled with an anticipation so
pungent that instinctively Hilary leap
ed aside. Out Of the cloud he saw
Black Pierre plunge forward, knife in
his hand. The spent blow cut Hilary's
sleeve. Pierre recovered himself and
rushed at the American, a fearful spec
tacle, dripping sweat and blood. Hill
ary caught him with the right under
the jaw, sending him fiat. The knife
went whirling away into the under
brush. Black Pierre lay still.
Hilary turned to the nearest of the
awed lumbermen. Bring him a cup
of water" he ordered.
The man understood and ran into
Pierre's hut. But Pierre was sham
ming; he opened his eyes, fixed them
with burning hate on Hilary, and mum.
bled.
"Get up!" said Hilary.
Pierre rose sullenly, edging out Of
the reach of the expected blow. He
was cowed. the fighting spirit was out
Of him, as 1t was out of his compan-
ions. AS Civilized men fear the law,
the lumbermea feared the unknown
forces that lay behind Hilary and
manifested themselves through the
strength of his arm.
I'll give you five minutes to get off
the st. Boniface territory into the Ste.
Marie limits. the other side of Rocky
river" P.iury said. He turned to the
spectators. "Ill thrash every man not
employed by me who comes upon my
land" he announced.
Whether they understood the mean
ing of the words or not, they realized
the significance of the gesture. Black
Pierre. among his companions at the
edge of the clearing. stopped his re-
treat. He meant at least to save his
face by threats. But Hilary had de-
liberately turned his back on him and,
without apparent fear of danger, was
examining the shacks, and poking the
moss out of the interstices between the
logs with a forked stick. When he
turned the last Of the Ste. Marie men
was disappearing out of the clearing
down the road. He waited long enough
for them to reach the fork, before re-
entering the buggy.
He was thoughtful on the drive
homeward. He knew that 1t was only
the unexpected nature of his action
which had cleared the concession. That
had been a paramount duty; at any
cost he must preserve the integrity of
his land. But, given Brousseau's lead
ership and active hostility. they could
put up fight which would render him
impotent. Physical force could bring
him nowhere In the end.
1t took about an hour for the embel-
lished story to filter through to the
mill. Before work was knocked off that
afternoon Hilary became conscious of
new Difference In his hands manner,
Of gaping looks that followed him when
he went from office to mill. or back
For the first time st. Boniface began
to believe that the Morris regime had
really passed.