y ring,
through which he peered at nothing, but in full expectation of seeing a
puff of smoke and hearing a report, while in the quick flash of thought
that darted through his brain, the question he asked himself was, "Will
it kill me?"

But he did not stop to think, in this startling, novel position, for he
acted simultaneously. As quick as his thought he gave a turn to the
lower joint of his rod, separated the two pieces, and delivered a cut
with the butt end, which took effect upon the presented weapon, knocking
it out of its holder's hands, and then, tossing the rod aside, he sprang
forward and closed, while the stranger, breathing hard, finding himself
unarmed, tried to get a grip at his adversary's throat, failed, and
wound his arms well round him instead, following this up by trying to
lift Waller from the ground and throw him backward.

The next moment the beautiful little miniature tropic forest of ferns
was faring badly, being kicked, broken, and trampled down as the two
boys, breathing hard and panting with their exertions, swayed here and
there, and wherever they planted foot there came up a curious crackling
sound, for beneath the huge trees the earth was thickly covered with
beechmast.

"Brute--savage!"

_Whop_!

The dull sound was caused by the wild-looking young stranger coming down
flat upon his back. For after a brief struggle, during the first part
of which he was furious and strong, all his power seemed to depart at
once like a blown-out flame, while Waller, who had grown stronger moment
by moment, and hotter with temper as he wrestled here and there, put an
end to the struggle as cleverly as any wrestler by heaving up the
frantic youth, and falling with him to the earth.

For quite a minute they lay motionless, arms interlocked and chest to
chest, their breath coming and going with a hoarse, harsh sound, and
their eyes glaring as they looked defiance one at the other. Then, as
the conquered stranger's face grew more savage, Waller's, in his
triumph, slowly softened down into a smile, and as he recovered his
breath, he said triumphantly:

"Done you, in spite of your old pistol! I say, was it loaded?"

There was no reply, but the panting of the stranger's breast seemed to
grow louder.

"You coward!" he groaned out, at last, in a despairing tone.

"Ha, ha!" laughed Waller. "Brute, savage, and now coward! Why, you
were the coward to aim at me with a pistol when I had nothing but a
st