The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-05-27
By FRANK H. SPEARMAN
Copyright by Charles Scribner's Sons.
WNU Service.

open space between them and the
two men who, locked in a death strug-
gle, rolled In the middle of the street.
Despite terrific blow across the
head from the fiat of Selwood's re-
yolver, Starbuck's weight and bulk
had borne the gambler to the ground |;
and Starbuck. to avoid fatal dex-
terity' with the same revolver, had
clinched with him.
Neither Of the Infatuated men-sea-
soned to death grips-wasted another
instant trying to shoot. But Starbuck
had further resource lacking to his
enemy. Selwood knew precisely what
1t was-the deadliest of weapons IN a
clinch. He knew as grips, like light
ming, shifted. eyes strained in fury,
blows rained remorselessly, and the
gage of life and death slipped from
hand to hand, precisely what Star
buck was trying to do-he knew al
| most precisely where the heavier man
carried the coveted weapon, and now
not one man but two were exhausting
every resource of strength and STRAIT
egem to reach the haft of Starbuck's
bowie-knife at his hip.
| 1t was an unequal struggle Star
bucks weight and strength almost
| continually overbore the gamblers
agility Each advantage for the mas
/, terry hard-gained by Selwood was soon
lost to the heavier defense of Star
buck. With Pardaloe's piercing eyes
taking note of every turn. he could
see but one hope for the lighter man,
| hope that vanished when Selwood
seemed weakening. IF Starbuck's
wind should outlast the other-Sel-
| wood, Pardaloe told himself, could
not win.
So deep had become this conviction
| that more than once Pardaloe would
have interfered, would have knocked
| Starbuck on the head or rammed him
with his gun-stock-would have taken
for himself the badge of disgrace
from the wrought-up transfers,
| watching-had he not known that
Selwood, living or dead, would never
forgive a stigma put on him by the
aid of a friend. With hungry eyes
and ears, the powerful mule boss
watched the doubtful issue and lis
tened to the sharp, broken breaths
of the struggling men. But again and
again Starbuck would roll his enemy
under, only to have Selwood squirm
free and slip himself out.
The contest fast narrowed to one
point-the possession of the knife.
Pardaloe saw and he understood; his
fingers itched and his muscles
twitched in his fever to pass his own
knife into Selwood's hand; and al
most as If timed to the last moment
of the encounter, Starbuck, once more
freeing his right hand, restrained till
| then by Selwood's left, slipped it from
the leash of muscles, and whipped
out his knife.
But in gaining this deadly advan-
tage he had laid himself open to an
unlooked-for danger. AS a boxer, de-
feated in every tactic Of defense, sees
himself going and turns to the at
tack, Selwood's right hand, releasing
Starbuck's left, shot out and clutched
Starbuck's windpipe. The sinewy fin
| gers closed relentlessly on Starbuck's
throat, and, squirming from under
him, Selwood threw himself across
his enemy and overlay the arm slash
ing at him with the knife. Pardaloe,
wild with anxiety, knew the end was
in sight. But could Starbuck infiict
fatal injury before he should sue
cumb to the grip that had cut off his
breath?
Throwing himself frantically about
as he felt consciousness going, strik-
ing blindly at Selwood from the fore
arm, Starbuck tried to land a fatal
thrust But Selwood, as Starbuck,
plunging and rearing, slammed him
from side to side to shake loose the
deadly grip, took the slashing as best
he could, clinging all the while like
a panther at the throat of his foe.
/ Above the din about him, Pardaloe
shouted and yelled. Hope had re-
turned. He saw how the fight went.
And, stamping his clumsy feet In
| frenzy, he watched Selwood's left
elbow gradually straighten and saw
his left hand slide slowly, unevenly,
but certainly up to Starbuck's right
| wrist. Again the two men fneshed
Pardaloe- could see their straining
| muscles shiver in a climax of strug-
gle. Then, Selwood had wrested the
haft of the knife from his strangled
foe, let go his throat, and raised his
| arm to strike.
Not till then did Pardaloe jump In.
He caught the uplifted arm. The
gambler, covered with blood, looked
angrily up. "Not yet, john" cried
the big fellow, low and ferociously.
"Hang him! ]"
Painting as If dazed, Selwood looked
again to see who spoke. The voice
that entered his ear sent no message
to his brain. He shook away the
matted hair that fell before his eyes,
Pardaloe, gripping his arm, looked
intently at him and repeated his
words. Whether Selwood understood
or not, he knew Pardaloe He looked
down on his gasping enemy, ana,
stretching out his left hand, laid the
ugly knife in Pardaloe's hand.
With a cracked laugh. he stag
gered to his feet, cropping about with