e tension grew as time wore on without developments of any kind, the
waiting with the haunting fear of the worst grew harder to bear than
absolute calamity.

Toward five o'clock the Squire announced his intention of going out and
continuing the search, and this time no one objected. In fact, Mrs.
Bartlett, Kate and the professor insisted on accompanying him and
Marthy decided to go, too, not only that she might be able to say she
was on hand in case of interesting developments, but because she was
afraid to be left in the house alone.

* * * * * *

Toward morning, David, spent and haggard, wandered into a little
maple-sugar shed that belonged to one of the neighbors. Smoke was
coming out of the chimney, and David entered, hoping that Anna might
have found here a refuge.

He was quickly undeceived, however, for Lennox Sanderson stood by the
hearth warming his hands. The men glared at each other with the
instinctive fierceness of panthers. Not a word was spoken; each knew
that the language of fists could be the only medium of communication
between them; and each was anxious to have his say out.

The men faced each other in silence, the flickering glare of the
firelight painting grotesque expressions on their set faces. David's
greater bulk loomed unnaturally large in the uncertain light, while
every trained muscle of Sanderson's athletic body was on the alert.

It was the world old struggle between patrician and proletarian.

Sanderson was an all-round athlete and a boxer of no mean order. This
was not his first battle. His quick eye showed him from David's
awkward attitude, that his opponent was in no way his equal from a
scientific standpoint. He looked for the easy victory that science,
nine times out of ten, can wrest from unskilled brute force.

For, perhaps, half a minute the combatants stood thus.

Then, with lowered head and outstretched arms, David rushed in.

Sanderson side-stepped, avoiding the on-set. Before David could
recover himself, the other had sent his left fist crashing into the
country-man's face.

The blow was delivered with all the trained force the athlete possessed
and sent David reeling against the rough wall of the house.

Such a blow would have ended the fight then and there for an ordinary
man; but it only served to rouse David's sluggish blood to white heat.

Again he rushed.

This time he was more successful.

True, Sanderson partiall