sly the soldier clung. As it was,
Gale carried the Lieutenant with him and struck over his head at Stark.

Poleon had leaped into the room at Burrell's heels, to receive the
impact of a heavy body hurled backward into his arms as if by some
irresistible force. He seized it and tore it away from the thing that
pressed after and bore down upon it with the ferocity of a wild beast.
He saw Gale reach over the Lieutenant's head and swing his arm, saw the
knife-blade bury itself in what he held, then saw it rip away, and felt
a hot stream spurt into his face. So closely was the Canadian entangled
with Stark that he fancied for an instant the weapon had wounded both
of them for the trader had aimed at his enemy's neck where it joined
the shoulder, but, hampered by the soldier, his blow went astray about
four inches. Doret glimpsed Burrell rising from his knees, his arms
about the trader's waist, and the next instant the combatants were
dragged apart.

The Lieutenant wrenched the dripping blade from Gale's hand; it no
longer gleamed, but was warm and slippery in his fingers. Poleon held
Stark's gun, which was empty and smoking.

The fight had not lasted a minute, and yet what terrible havoc had been
wrought! The gambler was drenched with his own blood, which gushed from
him, black in the yellow flicker, and so plentifully that the Frenchman
was befouled with it, while Gale, too, was horribly stained, but
whether from his own or his enemy's veins it was hard to tell. The
trader paid no heed to himself nor to the intruders, allowing Burrell
to push him back against the wall, the breath wheezing in and out of
his lungs, his eyes fastened on Stark.

"I got you, Bennett!" he cried, hoarsely. "Your magic is no good." His
teeth showed through his grizzled muzzle like the fangs of some wild
animal.

Bennett, or Stark, as the others knew him, lunged about with his
captor, trying to get at his enemy, and crying curses on them all, but
he was like a child in Poleon's arms. Gradually he weakened, and
suddenly resistance died out of him.

"Come away from here," the Lieutenant ordered Gale.

But the old man did not hear, and gathered himself as if to resume the
battle with his bare hands, whereupon the soldier, finding himself
shaking like a frightened child, and growing physically weak at what he
saw, doubted his ability to prevent the encounter, and repeated his
command.

"Come away!" he shouted, but the words sounded foolishly f