The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-05-26
THIS BEGINS THE STORY


whose duty it is to prevent any
stranger from reaching the
house of Jonathan X. Mcclure.
The man Mcclure fears breaks
through the guard, scares the
houseEeeper and leaves = mes
sage calling for a meeting. Nc
Guire arIangcs with Peter to
meet the man and give him
money Peter Is interested in a
beautiful girl in the neighbor-
hood, Beth Cameron, and gives
her music lessons, thus arous-
ing the ire of Shad Wells, one of
81 the guards, in love with her.
Shad disturbs a lesson. Peter
goes out to meet him.
AND HERE 1T CONTINUES
Now, Wells" said Peter aIertly
you wanted to see me?"
Yes. I did, We stuck-up piano
fplayin', sm-singin'-- And
suiting the action to the word leaped
for Peter, both fists flying.
4 But Peter had learned his boxing
with his cricket. Also he had prac-
ticed the savate and was familiar
with jujutsu-but he didn't need eth
of them.
Wells rushed twice, but Peter was
not where he rushed The only dam
age he had done was to tear out the
sleeve of Peters shirt.
Stand up an fight like a man."
3
There's no hurry" said Peter,
calmly studying Shads methods.
"Oh, amt there!''
4 This bull-like rush Peter stopped
with neat uppercut. Strengthened
Shad's head. which came UP with a
disfigured nose, and before he could
( thrown down his guard Peter land
ed hard on his midriff. Shad wine
sd. but shot out a blow which grazed
Peters cheek. Then Peter counter
q on Shad's injured nose. Shad's
( eyes We're now regarding Peter in
constituent. But in a moment only
j, one of them was. for Peter closed the
other
Wed better stop now" gasped
Peter. land talk this over"
No, you -- - roared
shad. for he suspected that some
where in the bushes Beth was watch
ing.
Peter lost what remained of his
shirt on the next rush and sprained a
, thumb. 1t didn't do to fight Shad
rough and tumble But he got
away at last and stood his man off.
avoiding the blind rushes and land
~ ing almost at will
= Had enough?" he asked again, as
politely as ever.
NO gulped the other.
So Peter sprang in and struck him
with all the force of his uninjured
hand on the woodsman's jaw, and
then Shad went down and lay quiet.
Il had been ridiculously easy from
ithe first and Peter felt some pity for
Shad and not a little contempt for
.himself But he took the precaution
OF bending over the man and extract
Ing the revolver thai he found in
Shad's hip pocket.
As he straightened and turned he
saw Beth standing in the path re-
Earding him.
BETH" he exclaimed with a glance
at Shad. You saw"
Eyes" She covered her face with
: her hands. 1T was horrible
7 tried to avoid it, he protested.
Yes. know. It was his own fault.
Is he badly hurte"
no. I think not. But you'd bet
ter co.
''why7"
cit viii only make matters worse If
he sees you.'
She understood. turned and van
ished obediently.
Then Peter went to the house. got
a basin and. fetching some water from
the creek, played the Samaritan. In
a while Shad gasped painfully and
sat up. looking at the victor.
I E'Sorry.'' said Peter, but you
would have it,
Shad blinked his uninjured eye and
rose. feeling at his hip.
Il took your revolver" said Peter
calmly
- Give it here"
&; "A chap with a bad temper has no
business carrying ONE said Peter
: sternly.
oh" The man managed to
get to his feet.
I'm sorry. Shad. said Peter again.
and held out his hand. 'Let's be
friends
shad looked at the hand sunen1y
tor a moment. tn fix you. mister.
III fix you yet" he muttered. then
turned and walked away.
II Peter had made one friend he
had also made an enemy.
The incident with sad Wells was
unfortunate. but Peter didn't see how
i could have been avoided. He
was thankful nevertheless for his
English schooling. which had saved
HIM from defeat at the hands of
'-roughneck'' which could have been,
under the circumstances, nothing less
than ignominious. For if Shad
Wells had succeeded in vanquishing
him, all Peters authority. all his in
fuence with the rest of the men in
ACQUIRES employ would have gone
forever. for Shad Wells was not the
kind of man upon whom such vic
tory would have lightly sat. If he
had thrashed Peter, Shad and not
Peter would have been the boss OF
Fl, Black Rock and Peters position
would have been intolerable-
As Peter laved his broken
knuckles and bruised cheek, he
wondered if, after all. the affair
hadn't been for the best. True. he
had made an enemy of Shad. but
= then. according to the girl, Shad had
already been his enemy. Peter alb
horred fighting, as he had told Beth,
but whatecer the consequences, he
was sure thai the air had cleared
amazingly. He was aware, too. that
the fact that he had been the cham
pion of Beth's independence definite