Phil Rushington's Friends, or, Springvale Boys in a Lumber Camp — page 30: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

28 “Then you took a great risk. He may sus- pect when you get back to him. Yow had better stay here, for the battle is bound to go our way in the end, and J shall not parley if he really makes an attack. “No, no—I must ge back.” There was the crunching of a heavy tread in the crusty snow. ane the girl tried te break away irom the hand of Phil Rushingten. But the latter. looking past her inte the gray- ish gloom. saw the burly form of her father springing toward ther with 2 recklessness born ot the wildest rage The man. it seemed. had observed her when she stole back inte the camp. ~Suspecting her purpose fe hac foliowed her. Rocks ange: war not so intense at that mo- men’ against Rushington as toward his child. ‘ec him be: act seemed to be one of treachery, anc he was in a perfect frenzy. He caught her fiercely by the arm, a harsh cry bursting from his lips. Rush released “er, for the man would have rended her arm from her shoulder had he not done so, She uttered a terrified scream, for she be- lieved that she was abandoned to the mad rage of her father. But even as she did so she saw Phil Rushington send out a blow, straight from the shoulder, as she had seen him do once before. Could he have had a fair chance at the man, the latter would have been felled by the blow. As it was, the fist could only strike the shoul- der of Rock which paralyzed the arm that held Thena. The latter was released, for the grasp be- came instantly a nerveless one. Then, with a hoarse cry, the man turned upon Phil Rush- ington. DO AND DARE WEEKLY. “ The latter saw a knife gleam in a ray Of aa light from the fire which blazed in front of the lodge—and Rock held the weapon. | The man leaped upon Rush before the lat- ter could send out his invincible fist a second tine. and the youth found himself engaged at close quarte.< by an adversary who was in a yooc to seek his -ife. Tc avoid a slash from the knife, Rush had to act warily. He flung both arms about his foe, and so pinioned down the death-dealing hand for the moment. Thus embracing, the twain fell tpon the ground, and struggled there with all the desperation of a life and death combat. Rush had no of the kind with weapon which he was assailed, and had he possessed one it is doubtful if he could have brought himself to make use of it. So, for a minute or two, no advantage was gained by either of the combatants. For that period Rush had all he could do to protect himself from what might have been a fatal cut with the ugly implement. Then he got a grip on the man’s wrist, so as to hold the dangerous hand. That left one of his own free. | There was short space in which to get up steam for a crack at the man’s head with a But Rushington made the most of the close range; and what was lacking: in clenched fist. the first hit was made up by repeating it with scarcely a second’s interval between the two blows. Rock fell back with a groan. A deft twist. took the knife from his grasp, which was 4 4 a * f 7* 4 _ . “i e oe (a) eae Ue “ah 5 a, —_ RR 4 ay Y’ Pa, j Me - - ; : aug 7 - al oe . es ¢ 129M ASIA Eee , bd “* A e J de EVE loose upon the haft; and then the Springvale ~ athlete sat astride of his vanquished foe and let out a lusty shout, a: . bd - . , ~~ & “e 7s ad - a i *; oe <. he eS ak ‘ad 7 *. a ~<_ 2) a \ ; J = ( O mM ieee * | 2 >