The Bittermeads Mystery | Page 8

effort, a grip that seemed as though it
might have torn up an oak by the roots, but the other neither budged
nor flinched beneath it.
And in vain, in his turn, did he try to bend Dunn backwards to crush
him to the earth, it was an effort before which one might have thought
that iron and stone must have given away, but Dunn still sustained it.

Thus dreadfully they fought, there in the darkness, there in the silence
of the night.
Dreadfully they wrestled, implacable, fierce, determined, every
primeval passion awake and strong again, and slowly, very slowly, that
awful grip laid upon the big man's body began to tell. His breathing
grew more difficult, his efforts seemed aimed more to release himself
than to overcome his adversary, he gave way an inch or two, no more,
but still an inch or two of ground.
There was a sharp sound, like a thin, dry twig snapping beneath a
careless foot.
It was one of his ribs breaking beneath the dreadful and intolerable
pressure of Dunn's enormous grip. But neither of the combatants heard
or knew, and with one last effort the big man put forth all his vast
strength in a final attempt to bear his enemy down.
Dunn resisted still, resisted, though the veins stood out like cords on his
brow, though a little trickle of blood crept from the corner of his mouth
and though his heart swelled almost to bursting.
There was a sound of many waters in his ears, the darkness all around
grew shot with little flames, he could hear some one breathing very
noisily and he was not sure whether this were himself or his adversary
till he realized that it was both of them. With one sudden, almost
superhuman effort, he heaved his great adversary up, but had not
strength enough left to do more than let him slip from his grasp to fall
on the ground, and with the effort he himself dropped forward on his
hands and knees, just as a lantern shone at a distance and a voice cried:
"This way, Tom. Master John, Master John, where are you?"

CHAPTER III
A COINCIDENCE

Another voice answered from near by and Dunn scrambled hurriedly to
his feet.
He had but a moment in which to decide what to do, for these new
arrivals were coming at a run and would be upon him almost instantly
if he stayed where he was.
That they were friends of the man he had just overthrown and whose
huge bulk lay motionless in the darkness at his feet, seemed plain, and
it also seemed plain to him that the moment was not an opportune one
for offering explanations.
Swiftly he decided to slip away into the darkness. What had happened
might be cleared up later when he knew more and was more sure of his
ground; at present he must think first, he told himself, of the success of
his mission.
Physically, he was greatly exhausted and his gait was not so steady nor
his progress so silent and skillful as it had been before, as now he
hurried away from the scene of the combat.
But the two new-comers made no attempt to pursue him and indeed did
not seem to give his possible presence in the vicinity even a thought, as
with many muttered exclamations of dismay and anger, they stooped
over the body of his prostrate enemy.
It was evident they recognized him at once, and that he was the "Mr.
John' whose name they had called, for so they spoke of him to each
other as they busied themselves about him.
"I expect I've been a fool again," Dunn thought to himself ruefully, as
from a little distance, well-sheltered in the darkness, he crouched upon
the ground and listened and watched. "I may have ruined everything.
Any one but a fool would have asked him what he meant when he hit
out like that instead of flying into a rage and hitting back the way I did.
Most likely it was some mistake when he said he knew who I was and
what I wanted - at least if it wasn't - I hope I haven't killed him,
anyhow."

Secure in the protection the dark night afforded him, he remained
sufficiently near at hand to be able to assure himself soon that his
overthrown adversary was certainly not killed, for now he began to
express himself somewhat emphatically concerning the manner in
which the two new-comers were ministering to him.
Presently he got to his feet and, with one of them supporting him on
each side, began to limp away, and Dunn followed them, though
cautiously and at a distance, for he was still greatly exhausted and in
neither the mood