Show W A romance of E ZERO 1 the north woods BW D F it 11 U S copyright opy right ISIS service CHAPTER CHAP TEFt 11 II 2 aw when a young man fever NOW liot alth ith rebellion at odds with ills his world set upon treated unfair 1 finding his firmest trust betrayed tra ed arid and to his marrow steps off a train into a strange town and Is lilt in the mouth by a stranger catain ci tain chenta are arc bound to follow for one tiling thing the pressure of tero tem per him finds relief it was easy enough for young jolin john I 1 elknah to come to a decision as aa to what to do easy enough to decide that the alie mid west head bead up in the wilderness wilder nesi was as good a place na as any for a young man going out on his own to present himself and ask for a chance basy simple I 1 dut not so easy to summon that rage which would rould wipe out the hurt lie ile had had ills hla fondest hopes hopefl be traced by tle one human being lie he had trusted above all other it cut and scourged urged made him drive him belt into a furious temper lie ile had boarded a late train stick over his shoulder oblivious to ibe stares or of people in the station telling himself that he had been double crossed abused to a pant which was intolerable through tile the remaining hours of the iiii lit lie had tossed in ills his berth let ing that rage eat up tile the disappoint ment and heartache today on a bess comfortable train his iro ire mom ted and as the cars rocked aind bounced ou oil northward over in rough steel he sat for ion intervals TIt hout moving a the fire in his eyes growing the daik nesa in hla hii heart deep ening elling snow now fell now arid again some of it rifled doi down it from the i tois lois to tile the greasy creasy rattan seats of the smoker the brakeman came in an I 1 lighted oil lamps as waning noon brought wintry daigne dai kne one more chingo now and he lo ie on the kampfert Kam line bill he was nas not going to stop stol nt at I 1 lie ife moved with a start then and his JIM muscles bulged this vas nag the route mute lie he had planned so eo long to take but the detI destination natIon was no longer what it hid been becu in those years of planning on through hani rather on for the better part of another hundred miles to mid west headquarters 11 louire ou re out of luck the conductor said qaid getting into kampfert Kam tonight they got three cars off on on a cubert and it may inny take tahe pro em un an til noon to get their line open tell you what the junction boarding houses a fright you could go on to liere there a a good place to stay and come back to in tile the morning in time to get the east bound I 1 ahne tring never nener heard of it I 1 spry ipri little town the tor smiled grimly as he adjusted the wick of his lantern if the branch hadit been blocked this you might ve spen epen some bis big times the th e tonight 11 john did not heed this lie be said much illicit obliged I 1 and settled bottled back in the corner of hn hia seat with his wrath urath soon the brakeman rose and sung sling out shoestring 1 his slinging hla packsack to one shoulder john stood in the end of the car as they jolted to a stop lie ile was the only irking and when he pulled the door open snow bin shirled skirled wed about him moving figures showed against the glow of depot lights A voice bung out sharply taits himl him I 1 lie ile dropped to shin deep snow on the platform find and a bul bulkind kInt figure moed to confiant him you d better git beck on the brinn the man said you flint aint here herell 1 chock check him through 1 some one hoarsely NN hats bats the big ideal idea john mapped snipped bo are you to e aint here to argue jackl you git b hick ick aboard that car and keep dour feet out of shoestring and you 11 be better off the MR big man grasped his arm determinedly and as john twisted to free himself he slipped gc fie lung flung out ft a hand to catch his balance and on the gesture a stinging blow caught him full in the mouth month an instant h before bore rore end despite ils Is blak mood he v fould have nr ar gued but that ost fist on his lips dropped a red curtain before his eyes coagulated all the angl anger r which alch had kept him hot for to bivs and a night stripped reason from him lie ile crouched he rushed lie fie ras geang to let no pang gang put pill him hack back on any train I 1 ite he bored into hum through the then n until he IP had distance 11 tance between I 1 itself find and the car and then catching at chIng one a stiff blow on the nock nc k thit th it spun hiro him about na 11 and drove hla his ast bird into a belly voices then shap and pre profane fani some borne one truck struck him ol 01 on the cheel cheek BEGINNING THE STORY torn tool canapp boll nop aliv timber operator ordered by his bl physicians to tk take a com complete plate rest pun pins a three trip broad abroad promises ol of advancement he h hi hat mad ind to his bia ain 61 fyhn are ar brozeit liro bro keu keit for or no apparent reason and the tb young man is I 1 indignant paul urbe I Bel belknapp Bolh knaps nap partner to 1 a bone bona of conten contention father and wf ace part without rit hout a complete understanding understand and with an uppercut john dropped a man who charged in from the right the taste of blood on hla his lips goaded him they came on ii with I 1 th a lush lie ile kicked one ones a feet from under htiu him and the tha falling fillow tripped an other lie he struck and kicked and elbowed and ducked ilia his head locked sideways from a blow am anil ho he squeezed ills his eyes shut for a split instant to lo check the mounting dizziness they could have had bad him down and banten to a pulp in one minute if used their heads they were sere too niad mad too eager to carry the tight they got to in one another a way feuded off the blows of their fellows A man charging him checked and veered and he had a glimpse of a small figure on the edae of the group shoving at hla his assailants holding up a dissuading hand A voice then a girls voice was raised aliar sharply ply stop I 1 stop it I 1 tiny cra way bill I 1 let him alone I 1 the I 1 him was beyond a doubt john steele belknap but that young man was now in no mood ti 0 be let alone I 1 tho figure of the leader was before him poised Ral malting ting perhaps in indecision at the sudden wilting willing of spirit or tu in tent among hla his fellows perhaps Ni waiting altIng on this stranger who ft rap a so go unwelcome in their midst if for cr J he whirled and drove hit his flat fist hard into a belly the latter his wait was brief because as lie kicked fr free from those impending hands handa john rushed him striking out with short savage blows gl orvIng in this moment of even odds the man inan retreated slowly once he landed and jolted john severely but this advantage worked again t him because it tapped burled buried reservoir voir reneth aud fury and hard ati lm lin buckward bick ward into the glare thit th it streamed from the open tt atlon doorway A cry then fig as john bareheaded face set burst into the light tain t lim hm tiny I 1 maln tain t him I 1 I 1 now this tiny might to in another instent ln In stint stunt have had reason to claim that the shout distracted him did lie he rare to lay upon an alibi but even before the words were past the illi lint yelped them jolin john found the opening he and been fighting for full on the point of tonys chin his knuckles knuckle 3 struck and the mans man s logs legs sagged the force of the blow rocked him film b backward and lie he crum pled ills his head lolling to one side crunched oddly as it struck the wheel of a baggage truck jotin john heard that sound and a tingle ran through him ile he lurched on forward crouching as if to pounce upon hla his fallen adversary ve IN ell enough to knock the big ceval ou out t but he did not like tedi crunch I 1 hands clutched at hl hi shoulder and a hoarse protest was gas in his ear get awall J john jhn hn cried shaking ot of the hands heedless of the words and dropped to his knees in the snow beside the fallen man lilt flit his head 1 some one cried as the they y gathered closely about a weir of 0 legs damming back light from the doorway get back 1 john snapped out of the light you youl 11 the voice of authority that and it cut through a rising mutter from the crowd forced a falling failing back to let yellow light filter on tile the proa ilav the mans man s face was wag bruised and bleeding lie ile lay lax and when bary john one of tile the great arms it deorr 4 back limply the ilie man breathed heavily and apprehension mounted la in the boys consciousness hold herel here 1 shai ply carry him inside I 1 can seel and gently easily conRi considering derIng the mans B eight lie he slid an a arm rm beneath the broad shoulders and malsed the torso others helped for fop the most part wordlessly and they shuttled into the waiting t rom OTO with thir th ir bur bar den placing it care carefully lully on oil the floor inside the stove john was heedless of the bowd browd that pressed close agala ua removed the thick rap from tonys head and with light careful lingers ingers rummaged through the stiff hair lie encountered to great bruise no ilio the cip cap had been nm am pie protect protection lor no fracture per haps not even tiny stirred and moaned get me enoel eno vl john said eald and scurried outside with hla his handkerchief lie wiped blood from tile the mans roan s chin and when the snow came he took a great handful and held it against brow and temples tiny grimaced and puckered his lips and stirred moaned next and opened one ee and whimpered P ered what tit th h 1 1 1 I he began and the crowd stirred as in relief john drew a deep breath then 11 and nd looked up tip at tile the faces above him weather A beaten vigorous faces they were and as ills his ebes a swept ept them they turned on him with curious expressions ile wants to know blat the h b 1 11 he be began and that makes 1960 of its what the h I 1 does tt it lie ile broke short ile he had battled bak back to his heels sear searching ebing those faces esth a demand for explanation when he saw hi she had stood beside him looking down very small and slight of figure she was and th the eface face beneito the snug turban of beaver was uns its as gentle as those others were rough her eyes were dark and large and serious more than serious pert irps pa possibly deep trouble rode in them to go with the repressed line of her mouth she was looking full fall in ills his face and as hp h broke his gruft gruff question he inclined his head slightly as in recognition of a difference and in apology lie ile caught no his breath sorry I 1 to her 1 I should say any whipping his glance to the men again a stranger to think of being ganged banged like this A slim wiry man who had squat ed on the other side of the geniv ing tiny spoke we was ex expect pectin ln another party chum he said you re a match for him in size but you aint the one wn wire re lookin for this lar hard egg sent in to clean us out by old tom beli bednart nap I 1 johns john s head bead jerked tie ile leaned tensely tor for vard I 1 what he demanded a long drawn word strained ned with sur prise perhaps with something like shock 11 1 I said wed got aws a certain party chos raised h I 1 here was comin in to put a chunk under a corner we aimed to get him back bach tc Karo Kam prest alth bad news tor for old belknap geln excited like we was waa and bent bein dark like it was we mis took you for him not important bebby but truel true ia john tool took a quick bryatt aad let it out th ough his nostrils in an amazed well he be ile he looked un oo again tor for the girls face as though an ex exchange hange or of glances with ter ner might clarify this te situation site she was gone ile he stared tit it tie fie others but they were eye watching tiny who RIM was being helped to a sitting posture by the smaller wan mac all right tiny the other asked the big fellow felt his chin gingerly and mi hii head bead and then shook it as if to chase off the fog which impaired his faculties D he fie git away he ailed A chuckle from the crowd away your grandma 1 abre he ha sets tiny 1 tle the dazed eyes followed fol lovied cheges the gee ture and then blinked slowly y 0 d i way inay bill tain t him he said weakly no Ital nt but tills this one hes a stem winder luder ashow an how that thal 1 I ind d if this one was him then wed ed have a lot ill more 0 re to worry alnut al nut yes sir if ol 01 old d bel knup anal coul couff tire lem cm like you chum to joer johir then the compani compan would lite li te S to ply ny awake nights ahr abnit lit hav had bee been n staring at john and now his bis biye NEIN ered as 89 a mans m will ill w when hen he la Is overcome with embarrass embarrassment merit 11 get up I 1 a mumbled and john helped him to ills his feet the boys boya heart was pounding old tom bt arting that sort bort or trouble all right tiny way bill asked and when assured that tho the late un conscious man waa getting to be as good as new 1 I 1 e turned to john I 1 guess its due to you to explain it a latte he said and john caught vague change in the attitude of the group the shunlong of feet the murn tile the looks spoke of a I 1 growing chagrin and embarrassment such as had marked tonys faltering gaze stranger lu in this country yes yea youl youre 0 heard of oil tom belknap I 1 1 I have once some of his bla wrath surging upward to mingle with high curiosity I 1 well aeb evident almin to run the richards company lure hrc off tile earth lies hes done a plenty but the last thing lie he thought up was aas to bring a hand named baxter from kampfert Kam Nam john frowning followed the man s matter offart of fact worda closely this baxters a tough customer lie mixed it with our woods boss last week him clear off a car nd ind broke his hip tonight he was advertised to come over here nd clean out tho the town tonn single handed makes us pretty hot hof volee rising it a trifle been that old belknap only wants to close us down so a he can buy so methin for little or we lone done what hat likely do for the outfit that hired you nd ind vou knew was fair nd ind square nd ind in a jack jach pot only we done in n error A grim little man lie he as but had spoken with a fine spirit of loyalty lie he now added im sorry tiny here sure ought to be awful rorry lorry and I 1 guess e else ise feels like we do i hope chum the feell ns aint too hard lal ticy TI cy stilled ng its a group will N ill when hen an vv pr to an important question la Is due wry no I 1 see how flow it Is john said but blandly Mist mistaken alren for his fat liers tiers hirer hired bully I 1 and old tom trying to run ran this other company into a cor nerl ner old turn tom mixing it as perhaps an even older bellknap Belli nap had done in the pine days was tint a possible explanation why by he young john had been so carefully kept away from kampfert Kana Kam were things transpiring in this country of which Ms 1 19 father was aas ashamed like a white hot thread the tl ought seared through hla his con if a fight was vias on here waged by his f fahr ft alk hr r against a weak er competitor comp ettor now might that not offer a greater aut a more complete relief for his sw ing resentment sent senti ment nent than bashing strangers with his fists until this his hi only possible vengeance on his father had been to run away but now A jau ta aria ia in from outside shouldering through abe press presa beat ing snow enow from a scotch cap with with his mitten flete he said eald holding it toward john here beres B your cp I 1 I 1 guess I 1 knocked it ot off and well ij you sea how it wa up he was flushed and am so evidently contrite that john smiled and when he wiled the tension hat had been on those men inen relaxed the presenta alon of the cap was equivalent to a gift a token to heal bea a breach B pledge and seal or of friend chipi anything we e can d 1 I |