et shot from under him and he went
down backwards. In his fall he seized Ralph's knife-arm at the wrist,
and the same time aimed a slashing blow at his face. But Ralph's agility
was as furious as it was full of force. In turn he caught Nick by the
wrist, and, with a great wrench, sought to dislocate his shoulder.

As well try to tear a limb from the parent oak. Ralph's effort died out,
and they lay upon the ground fighting to free their weapons. Now the
life and death struggle had begun. It was a hideous battle, silent,
ominous. But the horror of it lay, not in the deadly intent, the
flashing steel, the grim silence. These men were brothers; brothers
whose affection had stood them through years of solitary labours,
trials, and privations, but which had changed to a monstrous hatred
because a woman had come into their lives.

As the moments swept by, the brothers rolled and writhed, with every
faculty at terrible tension. Now Ralph was uppermost; now Nick sought to
drive the downward blow. Now Ralph strained to twist his knife-arm free
from the iron grip that held it; now Nick slashed vainly at the air,
seeking to sever the sinewy limb that threatened above his face.

It required only the smallest slip, the briefest relaxation of the
tense-drawn muscles on the part of either, and death awaited the
unfortunate. For long neither yielded one iota, but the struggle was too
fierce to last. Human strength has but narrow limits of endurance when
put forth to its uttermost. Given no slip, no accident, there could be
only one conclusion to the battle. Victory must inevitably be with the
man of superior muscle. Neither fought with a fine skill; for, used as
they both were to the knife, their antagonists of the forest only
possessed Nature's weapons, which left the hunter with the balance of
power.

Already the breathing of the combatants had become painfully heavy; but
while Ralph struggled with all the fierceness of his passion, and put
forth his whole strength, Nick reserved a latent force for the moment
when opportunity arrived. And that moment was nearing.

Ralph was under and Nick's great weight held him down, for the sinuous
struggles of the other had lost their vim. Suddenly, with a mighty
effort, the younger man wrenched his knife-arm free, and a cry, hoarse,
fierce, sounded deep in his throat. But his effort had cost him his hold
upon his brother. There was a wicked gleam of steel as both men struck.

Ralph, strikin