. It was Boris, without a
doubt. No other man about Legonia possessed the giant proportions of
the big Russian.

Boris glared sullenly from the brush as he saw the advancing figure
hesitate and turn toward him. Then he recognized the young cannery
owner. What chance would he have to show Mascola now? The intruder
threatened the defeat of his cherished plans. The girl he sought was
coming up the hill. A few minutes more and----

"What do you want, Boris?"

The Russian's answer to Gregory's question came in a guttural snarl as
he staggered from the sage and flung himself upon the speaker.

CHAPTER XVII

THE FANGS OF MASCOLA

Gregory leaped nimbly beyond reach of the Russian's waving arms and
placed his back to the moonlight. Meeting the fisherman's blind rush
with a quick blow to his heavy jaw, he sidestepped and struck again.
Boris blocked the fist with a sweep of his long arm and clinched. For an
instant the bodies of the two men rocked in the gripping power of the
embrace. Then they fell to the roadway.

* * * * *

Dickie Lang stopped suddenly as she saw the struggling figures in the
path. A fight between two drunken fishermen was the commonest thing in
Legonia. She'd better not get mixed up in it. They were not her men. She
knew that. None of her fisherman lived up here but Swanson, and the
Swede she knew was at home. Making a wide detour through the brush which
carried her beyond sight of the scuffle, she hurried on.

* * * * *

"Where's Dick, Aunt Mary?"

There was a note in Jack McCoy's voice which made Miss Lang regard him
sharply before replying:

"She's gone down to Swanson's, John. One of the babies was sick."

"Has Mr. Gregory been back since I left? I'm looking for him."

McCoy was ashamed of the question. Still it was better to find out from
Aunt Mary than to try to explain to her niece.

"Yes. He left only a few minutes ago. He inquired for Josephine and when
I told him where she had gone, he said he would go to meet her."

Shaking his head weakly at Aunt Mary's question if anything was wrong,
McCoy turned slowly and walked down the path. Everything was wrong. Dick
had ditched him for Gregory. They'd framed it to get him out of the way.
Well, it was a cinch he wouldn't butt in. His reflections were cut short
by the sight of a white figure walking toward him.

"Hello, Jack. What's the matter?"

McCoy stared. Dickie L