"Break!" cried the girl. Lum tugged at the locked hand and wrist behind
King's back and King's hands flew to Ham's throat. "Break! Break!" And
Lum had literally to tear them apart.

"Time!" gasped the girl. She was on the point of tears now, but she
held them back and her mouth tightened--she would give them one more
round anyhow. When the battling pair rose Pleasant lost his head. He
let loose a fox-hunting yell. He forgot his duty and the rules; he
forgot the girl--he forgot all but the fight.

[Illustration]

"Let 'em loose!" he yelled. "Git at it boys! Go fer him,
Ham--whoop--ee--ee!" The girl was electrified. Lum began
cracking the knuckles of his huge fingers. Polly and the
soldier rose to their feet. That little dell turned eons
back. The people there wore skins and two cavemen who had
left their clubs at home fought with all the other weapons
they had. The Mission girl could never afterward piece out
the psychology of that moment of world darkness, but when
she saw Ham's crooked thumbs close to King's eyes a weird
and thrilling something swept her out of herself. Her watch
dropped to the ground. She rushed forward, seized two handfuls
of Ham's red hair, and felt Polly's two sinewy hands seizing
hers. Like a tigress she flashed about; just in time then came
the call of civilization, and she answered it with a joyous cry.
Bounding across the creek below came a tall young man, who stopped
suddenly in sheer amaze at the scene and as suddenly dashed on.
With hair and eyes streaming, the girl went to meet him and rushed
into his arms. From that haven she turned.

"It's a draw!" she said faintly. "Shake--" She did not finish
the sentence. Ham and King had risen and were staring at her
and the stranger. They looked at each other, and then saw Polly
sidling back to the soldier. Again they looked at each other,
grinned at each other, and, as each turned for his coat--clasped
hands.

"Oh!" cried the girl, "I'm so glad."

"This is not my brother," she said, leading the stranger forward.
If she expected to surprise them, she didn't, for in the hills
brothers and sisters do not rush into each other's arms. "It's
my sweetheart, and he's come to take me home. And you won't shoot
each other--you won't fight any more?" And Ham said:

"Not jes' at present"; and King laughed.

"I'm so glad."

Pleasant swung back to the Mission House with the two foreigners,
and on the way Miss Holden explained. The stranger was a me