Montana oil and mining journal., 1938-10-15

l empty. Thin smoke was curing ur
out Of the leaning sfoTepipe % the
} hut. and the fran Invalid. Jack Lewis
vas inside. budding near the recoened
JACK faced the startled trapper
Sorry. but my Tnjunx skipped he
said with 8 slight cough. IF youu les
me. III stay here. though. There .
sometnlng I thought ] might oo-for
you"
-For me7 DO not understand. sa1d
Etienne haltingiy.
mot really for you. For 3 very lovely
young woman who loves you. said the
ex-pugiltst, wasting no words. 7 know
what happened IN town. I know Why
you VIII not marry the girl who loves
I YOU All right, used 70 Be IN the
/ ring I'm too used up myself 60 teach
YOU even the ruoiments OF boxing. But
can do one thing. II you wiH give
me your time. some OF Il, can teach
/ you how 70 stop g man much bigger
than yourseif-when that man is no
boxer, you understand"
You canl" gRsped Etienne. you
mean III could
During the long. dragging II weeks
OF hopeiessneSs, jeanette Perreauit
scarcely appeared In the street of St
Croix.
Day by day she grew paler. she asked
the padre one day what she would have
to do to enter q convent. The good man
told her, but advised against t. She
was too young too full-nioodeo-
troubles always passed. Tr1st IN God,
who shows mercy 70 all -.
SuhmisSively she bowed her head for
his blessing, then arose, drawing the
heavy shawl about her head and went
out into the snowy street
Down there at the factory was 8
strange tumult. Mems hoarSe voices. A
dog team had come in from some
where. There was slirouded figure
on the sled. Now the sled went on,
stopping before the cottage OF DR..
Jugues. Two men bore the figure IN
doors.
A dry gasp came from Jeanettes
throat as she started 70 run toward the
doctors One of those men carrying
the sick one had been Etienne Duroqi
And even now, as she fastened to warn
him, there issued from the tavern down
the street a number Of men in parkas.
The foremost was 3 hmping giant,
Black Bart Shannonl
Death and magic hovered over the
snowy street Of st. Croix- Through 10
weeks Jack Lewis had masked his own
suffering, his own falling strength.
Twice a week the ex-pugilist had spent
a whole evening with the crude, but
learning pupil, adjuring him with words
when strength became insufficient 20
allow practical demonstration any
longer.
Etienne himself had known his
friend was sick, but had failed to un-
derstand the true seriousness Of Il.
Then had come the evening be had
found the shack cold, the fire out, and
Jack Lewis, dying. huddled under the
Redeemed blankets.
That was when the shocked trapper
bundled up his charge most heavily,
filling him with hot soup first. and
then muShing down TO st. Crotx with /
out q stop, IN the desperate hope OF
saving the life OF the man who had
given him hope.
In vain, Jack Lewis died within
half hour.
That was the death that hoyered. I
The magic followed almost instantly. 4
Etienne, with face In grief. stepped 1
out into the little huddle OF people 4
who waited outside the cottage. jean
nette was there, crying aloud some
thing that sounded like warning.
Etienne scarcely needed. He had seen
2 big man, waiting oninouSly o1 .Is over yer
y y
man around whom were five OF six
Of the barroom toadies who always
fiattered strength.
Etienne stepped slowly into the
cleared snow OF the street. his pacs
crisping INTO the surface. he straight
ened q little, took 8 deep breath.
For this you have died. my friend"
be muttered 10 himself.
Head down, arms swinging over and
over vertically, sham on rushed
Etienne proQ Just stood there
second. Then he seemed 20 brace him.
elf. his pacs making crisp sound un-
lerfoot.
Then he strobe one short pace for
ward 70 meet bus foel The trapper
varded off one OF those swings with
lis left forearm
Then nInkkl
Etiennes r1ght fist brought up with
SEEMING awkWardness from below the
Inc Of his belt, landed flush on the
left chin OF the giant bully-wth
ound which brought grunt o.
mingled surprise and apprehension 20
he red face OF Constable Joachim,
lurry1ng over to be sure there was no
murder Joachim had heard the threats
& Black Bart Shannon. But this--good
leavens, look at what had happenedl
Shannon had been lifted good ak
inches clear Of the ground by that ter
ific punchl His eyes rolled up white.
fe sagged, even while he was IN the
ir, then folded up Imply, slumping
own ike corpse half diSmembereoi
The face, when they turned Il up
Tard was canted strangely with q
rolen Jaw Blood was seeping slowly
rom nose and ears. Constable Joachim
urried forward, knelt. and ran a hand
aside Shannon's clothes.
run for the doci~ he bade cne OF
he petrified toadies. This fella was
skin for it--but he got It plenty. You
ont be leaving town Just now, win
0u, Duroq7 amt axrestin' you. but
''AAe?~ said Etienne calmly, as he
I'D one arm around tina waist o. the
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