espun suspenders about his waist. Watching him closely,
Jasper did the same.

The firing below had ceased. A flock of mountain vultures were sailing
in great circles over the thick woods. Two eagles swept straight from
the rim of the sun above Wolf's Head, beating over a turbulent sea
of mist for the cliffs, scarcely fifty yards above the ledge, where
a pine-tree grew between two rocks. At the instant of lighting, they
wheeled away, each with a warning scream to the other. A figure lying
flat behind the pine had frightened them, and now a face peeped to one
side, flushed with eagerness over the coming fight. Both were ready now,
and the Lewallen grew suddenly white as Rome turned again and reached
down for the guns.

"I reckon I'll put 'em a leetle furder out o' the way," he said, kicking
the knife over the cliff; and, standing on a stone, he thrust them into
a crevice high above his head.

"Now, Jas, we'll fight this gredge out, as our grandads have done afore
us."

Lewallen and Stetson were man to man at last. Suspicion was gone now,
and a short, brutal laugh came from the cliff.

"I'll fight ye! Oh, by God, I'll fight ye!"

The ring of the voice struck an answering gleam from Rome's gray eyes,
and the two sprang for each other. It was like the struggle of primeval
men who had not yet learned even the use of clubs. For an instant both
stood close, like two wild beasts crouched for a spring, and circling
about to get at each other's throats, with mouths set, eyes watching
eyes, and hands twitching nervously. Young Jasper leaped first, and the
Stetson, wary of closing with him, shrank back. There were a few quick,
heavy blows, and the Lewallen was beaten away with blood at his lips.
Then each knew the advantage of the other. The Stetson's reach was
longer; the Lewallen was shorter and heavier, and again he closed in.
Again Rome sent out his long arm. A turn of Jasper's head let the heavy
fist pass over his shoulder. The force of the blow drove Rome forward;
the two clinched, and Jasper's arms tightened about the Stetson's waist.
With a quick gasp for breath Rome loosed his hold, and, bending his
enemy's head back with one hand, rained blow after blow in his face
with the other. One terrible stroke on the jaw, and Jasper's arms were
loosed; the two fell apart, the one stunned, the other breathless. One
dazed moment only, and for a third time the Lewallen came on. Rome had
been fighting a man; now he faced a demon.