which the sectionman had carried his
hunting-knife swung empty as if the knife had been plucked out by one
of his assailants; for he was defending himself only with feet and bare
hands.

But it was all Svenson needed. He was putting up the fight of his
life. It was a beautiful demonstration of Scandinavian defense
methods--one man unarmed against five with knives and clubs! His huge
arms were working like flails. His powerful, supple body bent and
heaved this way and that with powerful sweeps as he met the incessant
attack. As fast as they came at him he sent them hurling off their
balance.

He seemed to have a defense for every kind of attack. As Kendrick and
McCorquodale first got sight of him three of the gang were rushing him
simultaneously. He knicked the knife spinning from one man's hand with
his heavy hob-nailed boot, grabbed the fellow by the waist and tossed
him backward over his head, grabbed a second one and whirled him across
his hip clean into the bushes; number three he laid out with a knee in
the stomach and an uppercut that must have broken his jaw. All this
like lightning. Svenson was indeed proving himself "gude smart mans,"
and that was, in very truth, "no yoke." Svenson was making good his
promise "tew rase hell."

"Oh boy! Oh _boy_!" McCorquodale kept muttering to himself, pausing an
instant in amazed admiration.

One glance assured Kendrick that the girl was nowhere in sight.
Evidently Cristy was carrying out instructions to the letter.

Stiles! Where was Stiles? Jimmy had "stuck," but he had gone under
early. He lay prone in the foreground, his face ghastly with a smear
of blood across the cheek. The fellow who had done it was still
standing there, looking down at the inanimate form.

Distant shouts and the noise of reinforcements approaching through the
timber announced the gravity of the situation. In another moment the
whole crowd would be upon them.

"I eats this guy up, 'bo," whispered McCorquodale, pointing to Stiles'
victor with his thumb, "'n'en I helps Swedie, see. You grabs Jimmy on
your back an' beats it fer the canoes. The girl's away already an'
Swedie an' me'll join you in a jiff an' the whole bunch of us vamooses,
see. You grabs Stiles----"

Kendrick silenced him with a look and together they leaped into the
fray. Phil knocked out the man standing beside Stiles with one blow on
the head from the butt of his revolver. Shouting encouragement,
McCorquod