The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-02-16
Copyright by Little, Brown, and Co.

Wives. It's so like this id, terrible
wilderness In which we live"
Bruce gazed In amaKement. The
dark and dreadful poetry Of this mans
nature was coming to the fore. The
wind made 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 I guess that time is here. There
Is to be no mercy at the end Of this
fight, Bruce; l 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
l 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 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
1t was like trying to tear tree from
the ground.
But surprise at the others power
was not confined to Bruce alone.
Simon knew that he had an opponent
worthy of the iron of his own muscles,
and he put all his terrible might into
the battle. He tried 20 reach Bruce's
throat, but the mans strong shoulder
held the arm against his side. 81
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 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. Fight
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 1t aloft. 1t
was his rifle, and Simon was aiming
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
not to end SO soon. At that instant
there was an amazing Intervention.
A great gray form came lunging
out Of the snow furries. Their vision
was limited to few feet, and SO
fast the creature came. With such In.
credible, smashing power, that he was
upon them In breath. 1t was the
Killer in the full glory of the charge
and he had caught up with them al
last.
Bruce saw only his great figure
| looming just over him. Simon, with
amazing agility, leaped to one side
Just in time, then battered down the
rifle stock with all his strength. But
4 the blow was not meant for Bruce
| II struck where aimed-the great gray
shoulder of the grizzly.
Then, dimmed and half -obscured
by the snow fiurries. there began as
strange a battle as the great pines
above them had ever beheld. Th'
Killers rage was upon him, and the
blow at the shoulder had arrested his
charge for moment only. Then ht
wheeled. a snarllng, fighting monster
with death for any living creature IL
the blow of his forearm, and lunget
toward Simon again.
1t was the Killer at his grandest
Simon had no chance to shoot hi!
rifle. In the instant that he woult
raise It those great claws and fang
would be upon him. He swung 1t a!
a club, striking again and again
dodging the. sledge7hammer blows ant
springing aside In the second OF th'
Killers lunges. He was fighting fo
his life. and no eye could bemean tina
effort
Simon himself seemed exalted. ant
for once II appeared that the gfizzl,
had found an opponent worthy Of hi'