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trees； stood revealed to all ears that could hear。
Dunn stood instantly perfectly still； rigid as a statue； listening
intently； and he noted with satisfaction and keen relief that the
regular heavy tread of the man in front did not alter or change。
〃Good；〃 he thought to himself。 〃What luck； he hasn't heard it。〃
He moved on again； as silently as before； perhaps a little inclined
to be contemptuous of any one who could fail to notice so plain a
warning； and he supposed that the man he was following must be some
townsman who knew nothing at all of the life of the country and was；
like so many of the dwellers in cities； blind and deaf outside the
range of the noises of the streets and the clamour of passing traffic。
This thought was still in his mind when all at once the steady sound
of footsteps he had been following ceased suddenly and abruptly； cut
off on the instant as you turn off water from a tap。
Dunn paused； too； supposing that for some reason the other had
stopped for a moment and would soon walk on again。
But a minute passed and then another and there was still no sound of
the footsteps beginning again。 A little puzzled； Dunn moved
cautiously forward。
He saw nothing； he found nothing； there was no sign at all of the
man he had been following。
It was as though he had vanished bodily from the face of the earth；
and yet how this had happened； or why； or what had become of him；
Dunn could not imagine； for this spot was； it seemed； in the very
heart of the wood； there was no shelter of any sort or kind anywhere
near； and though there were trees all round just the ground was
fairly open。
〃Well； that's jolly queer；〃 he muttered； for indeed it had a strange
and daunting effect； this sudden disappearance in the midst of the
wood of the man he had followed so far； and the silence around seemed
all the more intense now that those regular and heavy footsteps had
ceased。
〃Jolly queer； as queer a thing as ever I came across；〃 he muttered
again。
He listened and heard a faint sound from his right。 He listened
again and thought he heard a rustling on his left； but was not sure
and all at once a great figure loomed up gigantic before him and the
light of lantern gleamed in his face。
〃Now； my man；〃 a voice said； 〃you've been following me ever since I
left Bittermeads； and I'm going to give you a lesson you won't
forget in a hurry。〃
Dunn stood quite still。 At the moment his chief feeling was one of
intense discomfiture at the way in which he had been outwitted； and
he experienced； too； a very keen and genuine admiration for the
woodcraft the other had shown。
Evidently； all the time he had known； or at any rate； suspected；
that he was being followed； and choosing this as a favourable spot
he had quietly doubled on his tracks； come up behind his pursuer；
and taken him unawares。
Dunn had not supposed there was a man in England who could have
played such a trick on him； but his admiration was roughly disturbed
before he could express it； for the grasp upon his collar tightened
and upon his shoulders there alighted a tremendous； stinging blow；
as with all his very considerable strength； the big man brought down
his walking…stick with a resounding thwack。
The sheer surprise of it； the sudden sharp pain； jerked a quick cry
from Dunn； who had not been in the least prepared for such an attack；
and in the darkness had not seen the stick rise； and the other
laughed grimly。
〃Yes； you scoundrel；〃 he said。 〃I know very well who you are and
what you want； and I'm going to thrash you within an inch of your
life。〃
Again the stick rose in the air； but did not fall； for round about
his body Dunn laid such a grip as he had never felt before and as
would for certain have crushed in the ribs of a weaker man。 The
lantern crashed to the ground； they were in darkness。
〃Ha！ Would you？〃 the man exclaimed； taken by surprise in his turn；
and； giant as he was； he felt himself plucked up from the ground as
you pluck a weed from a lawn and held for a moment in mid…air and
then dashed down again。
Perhaps not another man alive could have kept his footing under
such treatment； but； somehow； he managed to； though it needed all
his great strength to resist the shock。
He flung away his walking…stick； for he realized very clearly now
that this was not going to be； as he had anticipated； a mere case
of the administration of a deserved punishment； but rather the
starkest； fiercest fight that ever he had known。
He grappled with his enemy； trying to make the most of his superior
height and weight； but the long arms twined about him； seemed to
press the very breath from his body and for all the huge efforts he
put forth with every ounce of his tremendous strength behind them；
he could not break loose from the no less tremendous grip wherein
he was taken。
Breast to breast they fought； straining； swaying a little this way
or that； but neither yielding an inch。 Their muscles stood out like
bars of steel； their breath came heavily； neither man was conscious
any more of anything save his need to conquer and win and overthrow
his enemy。
The quick passion of hot rage that had come upon Dunn when he felt
the other's unexpected blow still burned and flamed intensely； so
that he no longer remembered even the strange and high purpose which
had brought him here。
His adversary； too； had lost all consciousness of all other things
in the lust of this fierce physical battle； and when he gave
presently a loud； half…strangled shout； it was not fear that he
uttered or a cry for aid； but solely for joy in such wild struggle
and efforts as he had never known before。
And Dunn spake no word and uttered no sound； but strove all the more
with all the strength of every nerve and muscle he possessed once
again to pluck the other up that he might dash him down a second
time。
In quick and heavy gasps came their breaths as they still swayed
and struggled together； and though each exerted to the utmost a
strength few could have withstood； each found that in the other he
seemed to have met his match。
In vain Dunn tried again to lift his adversary up so that he might
hurl him to the ground。 It was an 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 dr