Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-01-15

A0t4el 9u ldCues AkhluAl AL tic
world Toinette, pulling 1t his hair.
be4tiAx 1t his back, had raised his
strugtie to epic heights. The strength
Of martyrdom filled his lean arms and
body, and he fought with renewed
herceness that made his heavier but
softer antagonist give way before the
punishment. and both went down TO
earth again. Toinette fell with them.
her long skirt impeding the activity of
their legs, her big hat hanging like
sunshade over her face. her beant-
fully made curls tangled and spotted
with mud. her hands beating angrily
come In her way.
Jeems was aware Of her presence
and physically sensible Of her COM
bativeness. but In the complexity of
action which surged over and about
him he could afford no discrimination
In the manner OF using his arms. legs.
teeth, and head. and at last. finding
herself disentangled. Toinette scram-
btsN III hFEA iCrl iOfiSltlEIdulf III uiSFu
and In such disorder that no one
would have recognized her as the
splendid little lady of the seigneurie
who had come so proudly to Lussan's
place short time before. Her hand
some hat was crumped wreck In
the mud Her dress was twisted and
bedraggled. Her hands and face were
discolored with soil, and her hair was
most smothered in 1t. Despite this
physical condition. her mental self was
more than ever inflamed with the de-
sire to fight. and Selling upon the hard
sunf0wer which lay In the dirt, she
succeeded In bringing 1t down with
such force that, missing .Jeems. it
| caught Paul on the side OF the head
and laid him sprawlina flat on his face.
This terminated the conflict for
Toinette. who gave a cry Of apnrehen-
sion when shessaw what she had done.
Paul had recovered from Toinettes
vantage Of It. md what happened DUR
ing the final round of contention re-
manned largely matter OF speculation
In Jeems' mind lie was sitting up,
after a little, and there was no one
to strike at. Paul and Toinette were
out OF his reach yet he heard their
voices. oddly indistinct. moving in the
direction OF Lussan's house. He tried
to call out. thinking that Tache was
escaping like coward. but something
In his throat choked him until 1t was
Impossible for him to get breath enough
to make sound. He made an effort
to rise that he might pursue his
beaten enemy. The earth about him
swan dixzily. He was gasping, sick at
his stomach, and blood was dripping
from his nose
horrifying thought leapt upon him,
and 70 sudden was the shock OF 1t that
he sat staring straight ahead, barely
conscious OF two figures emerging
from the concealment OF a thick
growth Of brushwood twenty PAGES
away. The thought became convic-
ton. He had not whipped Paul Tache |!
Paul had whipped him--and his enc
my's accomplishment had been 10
thorough that he could still feel the
instability OF the world about him as
| he drew himself to his feet
His eyes and head cleared as the
realization Of defeat swept over him.
Then he recognized the two who had
appeared In the edge OF the open. One
was his Uncle Hepsihah, the other
Tolnette's father. Both were grinning
| broadly at the spectacle which he
made. and as they drew nearer he
heard Tonteur's voice In what was
meant to be confidential whisper.
lis 1t really your petIt-neveu. friend
Adams, or. one Of Lusssn's pigs come
out Of its wallow7 Hold me. OF what
have seen will make me split"
But Jeems heard no response from
Hepsibah. for the traders face sud-
denly lost Its humor. and In place OF
ii came a look which had no CLINT Of
smile or laughter in it.
CHAPTER Nv