Part 11 (2/2)

Well, he an to think about the girl he had met at Montreal She seemed to stand for all that was best in the Old Country; its refinement, its serenity, and ancient charirls like that in Canada; they were the product of long cultivation and sprang from a stock whose roots went deep into the past Jiain

Perhaps it was the contrast that presently fixed his thoughts on Carrie Carrie was a type that throve in virgin soil; she was virile, frank, and unafraid Her emotions were not hid by inherited reserve

One could i like a wildcat for the man she loved

Yet she had a fresh beauty and a vein of tenderness Jim was fond of Carrie but not in love with her He wondered whether he irl, but pulled hian to look about

The shadows of the pines had got shorter and blacker as the moon rose; the hill was checkered by their dark bars He could not see far down the valley, because it was full of reat hollow looked like a caldron in which the river boiled Its hoarse roar echoed around for shed in the pine-tops and now and then there was a tinkle of falling stones

Jim saw some stones roll down and stop at the wall he had built This ran in a gentle curve across the slope and shone like silver in the ht In places, it was broken by shadows that see sleepy and tried to rouse hi of an effort, because he had not slept ot suddenly alert

An indistinct object moved where a shadow fell across the wall, and Jirim satisfaction; he had watched for the fellohen brain and body needed rest, and now he had come Moreover, his object was plain The as underpinned, supported by tiht were cut, the stones would fall and bring down the rest One could not hear an ax at the ca ould sweep away the chips, and the fellow, stealing back, would join the et near hi the rocks and trees to cover his advance, but the other could hide aht be prudent to let hiht

The thud of the ax echoed across the woods, and Jiround, went cautiously down hill He did not carry a pistol On the whole, he thought one was safer without a gun, but he had brought a thick wooden bar with an iron point that they used for rolling logs Getting behind a tree, he stopped near the wall The regular strokes of the ax indicated that the other was not disturbed, and Jiround, could see the upper part of his body as he swung the tool The sharp blows i the distance, Jim sank down and crawled to the top of the wall Since the other had an ax, surprise would be a useful, and perhaps necessary, advantage in the attack Ji before the felloas in his power As he crept forward a few stones rolled down the hill He wondered what had disturbed theht it imprudent to turn round, and lay quiet for a fewstopped He could not see the man now, because he was hidden by the top of the wall

The chopping began again, and Jie and threw himself over just after the ax came down

He fell upon the h both were shaken by the collision, the other avoided his grasp and staggered back Jith The other caught the blow on the curved shaft of the ax, and Jim's hands were badly jarred The vibration of the hard wood nurip It looked as if he had been cluonist, because the ax was longer than the bar Moreover, the Canadian busherous tool For all that, Jiht and meant to win The fellow had taken a bribe to ruin him

He lifted the bar, struck hard, andhis ax and Ji blade swept past They were now in the ht and he saw the other's face; it was the ave way to a fury that banished caution The fellow had a longer reach and looked cool; indeed, he see Ji hard, watched for an opening, he lowered his ax

”Suppose we quit fooling and talk about the thing?” he said

”I',” Jiet you with the ax, if I wanted, but I've not ht out”

”You'd starve before you h flour and pork in a cache to see h”

”The trouble is, you can't make the cache,” said Jim ”I've watched for you since the first wall broke and you earned the money Davies promised Put down the ax and start for cauy who ca you don't know the man?”

”It doesn'tback to ca to you if you try to take me”

Jim meant to take hiet near enough, he ht knock out the felloith the bar and yet not do hierous, but it was possible the other would hesitate about using it In Canada, crienerally punished, and even in the wilds offenders seldo escape the Northwest Police Yet there was a risk

”You are co with me,” he said, and advanced with lifted bar

The other cut at him and he narrowly missed the blow He tried to run in before the fellow could recover froh The ax went up and he met the blade with the bar The keen steel beat down the wood and went through when it round, and Ji back, he hurled it at his antagonist and heard it strike with a heavy thud The fellow staggered, but did not fall and, getting his balance, advanced on Jim The blow had roused hiht until one was disabled

Jirapple while he kept out of reach The sweat ran down his face, he was savage but cool The worst was, he must move backwards and could not see the holes in the uneven slope When he had gone a few yards he heard a shout and his antagonist looked round