Page 51 (1/2)

Thoht He fought

now as if his life depended upon it Each blow he gave and took brought

to the surface a furious deterh he knew that his lips were cut and bleeding, that his

cheeks were bruised and cut where Tommy Ashe's hard-knuckled fists

landed with iainst

his ribs, and that every breath was a rasping gasp Nor was he conscious

of pity when he saw that Tommy Ashe was in no better case It seemed fit

and proper that they should struggle like that There was a strange sort

of pleasure in it It seemed natural, as natural an act as he had ever

performed The shock of his clenched fist driven with all his force

against the other ave him a curious

satisfaction And that satisfaction took on a keener edge when Ashe

clinched and they fell to the earth a struggling, squir heap--for

Thompson felt a tremendous power in his arms, in those arms covered with

flat elastic bands ofon heavy logs He wrapped his arms about Ashe and tried to crush

hihtened Tommy Ashe He broke loose

from Thompson by a trick known to every man who has ever wrestled, and

claay to his feet Thereafter he kept clear of grips Quick, with

soet home two blows to Thompson's one But

he could not down hisand dodging, till their lungs were on fire, and neither had

strength enough left to strike a telling blow