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That they had surprised him even more than he had them was evidenced by the

wildness of his shot which passed harmlessly above their heads as well as by the

fact that he had permitted them to come so close before engaging them.

To the latter event was attributable his undoing, for it permitted Billy Byrne to

close with him before the Indian could reload his antiquated weapon. Down the

two men went, the American on top, each striving for a death-hold; but in weight

and strength and skill the Piman was far outclassed by the trained fighter, a part

of whose daily workouts had consisted in wrestling with proficient artists of the

mat.

Barbara Harding ran forward to assist her champion but as the men rolled and

tumbled over the ground she could find no opening for a blow that might not

endanger Billy Byrne quite as much as it endangered his antagonist; but

presently she discovered that the American required no assistance. She saw the

Indian's head bending slowly forward beneath the resistless force of the other's

huge muscles, she heard the crack that announced the parting of the vertebrae

and saw the limp thing which had but a moment before been a man, pulsing with

life and vigor, roll helplessly aside--a harmless and inanimate lump of clay.

Billy Byrne leaped to his feet, shaking himself as a great mastiff might whose coat

had been ruffled in a fight.

"Come!" he whispered. "We gotta beat it now for sure. That guy's shot'll lead 'em

right down to us," and once more they took up their flight down toward the valley,

along an unknown trail through the darkness of the night.

For the most part they moved in silence, Billy holding the girl's arm or hand to

steady her over the rough and dangerous portions of the path. And as they went

there grew in Billy's breast a love so deep and so resistless that he found himself

wondering that he had ever imagined that his former passion for this girl was

love.

This new thing surged through him and over him with all the blind, brutal,

compelling force of a mighty tidal wave. It battered down and swept away the frail

barriers of his new-found gentleness. Again he was the Mucker--hating the

artificial wall of social caste which separated him from this girl; but now he was

ready to climb the wall, or, better still, to batter it down with his huge fists. But

the time was not yet--first he must get Barbara to a place of safety.

On and on they went. The night grew cold. Far ahead there sounded the

occasional pop of a rifle. Billy wondered what it could mean and as they

approached the ranch and he discovered that it came from that direction he

hastened their steps to even greater speed than before.

294

The Mucker