The Adair County news., 1922-12-05

cause one or us Isl going 0ut-a more
direct Way-frst. (Which one that Is
doesn't much matter" His great
hands clasped. Bruce, when
snatched your gum right now could
have done more. could have sprung
few feet farther and had you around
the waist-taken tby surprise. The
fight would have been already over
/ think 1 could have done more thar
that, eyen-wlrn my own rifle as you
came up. It's laying there, just beside
the horse"
But Bruce didn't turn his eyes to
LOOK at it. He was waiting for the
| attack.
81 could have snatched your life just
as well, but / wanted to wait" Simon
went on. 81 wanted to say a few
words first, and wanted to master you
not by surprise-but by superior
strength alone"
1t came into Brude's mind he could
tell Simon of the wound near his shOul-
der, how because of it no fight between
them would be q fair test Of superb
Ority, yet the words didn't come to
his lips. He could QOt ask mercy Of
this man, either directly or indirectly,
any moEe than the pines asked mercy
of the SHOWS that covered them.
You were right when you said
! there is no escaping from this storm"
Simon went on. But it doesn't much
matter. It's the end of long war,
and what happens to the victor is
neither here nor there. 1t seems all
the more fitting that we should meet
just as we have-at the very brink Of
| death-and Death should be waiting
| at the end for the one of US who sur
| wives. It's so like this id, terrible
wilderness in which we live"
Bruce gazed in amazement. The
dark and dreadful poetry of this mans
nature was coming to the fore. The
wind made a strange echo to his
wOrds-a long, wild shrek as 1t swept
over the heads of the pines.
'Then why are you waiting?" Bruce
asked.
$50 you can understand everything.
But guess that time is here. There
is to be no mercy at the end Of this
fight, Bruce; ask none and will give
none. You have waged a war against
me, you have escaped me many times,
you have won the love Of the woman
1 love-and this is to be my answer"
His voice dropped a note and he
spoke more quietly. "Tm going to kill
you, Bruce"
"Then try it," Bruce answered stead
lily. I'm in a hurry to go back to
Linda"
SimOn's smoldering wrath blazed up
at the words. Both men seemed to
spring at the same time. Their arms
failed, then interlOcked; and they
rocked a long time-baCk and forth
in the snow.
For the first time Bruce had full
realization of SimOn's mighty strength.
With all the power of his body he
tried to wrench him off his feet, but
it was like trying to tear a tree from
the ground.
But surprise at tie others power
was not confined to Bruce alone.
Simon knew that he had an opponent
worthy of the iron of mis- own muscles,
and he put all his terrible might into
| the battle. He tried 90 reach Bruce'S
! throat, but the mans strong shoulder
held the arm against his side. ST.
mons great hand reached to pin
Bruce's arm, and for the first time he
discovered the location Of his weak
ness.
He saw the color sweep from
Bruce's face and water drops that
were not melted snow come upon It.
1t was all the advantage needed be-
tween such evenly matched contest
ants. And Simon forgot his spoken
word that he wished this fight to be
test of superiority alone. His fury
swept over him like a flood and ef-
faced all things else; and he cen
tered his whole attack upon Bruce's
| wound.
In a moment he had him down, and
he struck once into Bruce's white
face with his terrible knuckles. The
blow sent q strange sickness through
the younger mans frame; and he tried
vainly to struggle to his feet. Flight |!
Fight on!' was the message his mind
dispatched along his nerves to his
tortured muscles, but for an instant
they wholly refused to respond. They
had endured too much. Total un-
consciousness lowered above him,
ready to descend.
Strangely, he seemed to know that
/ Simon had crept from his body and
was even now reaching some dread
full weapon that lay beside the dead
form Of the horse. In an instant he
had 1t, and Bruce's eyes opened in
time to see him swinging it aloft. 1t
was his rifle, and Simon was aiming
a murderous blow at him with its
stock.
There was no chance to ward it off.
No human skull could Withstand Its
shattering impact.
But that war of life and death in
the far reaches of Trails End was