of the wall, and
his keen fingers traced their way along it. Five steps, he judged,
and the bag would be at his feet. At the fifth step his toe touched
an object on the floor; he leaned over and raised the booty in his
hand.

By this time his eyes had responded to the intense darkness, and he
could discern a square of greyer gloom where the window admitted the
night. He moved rapidly and silently toward it, but almost with the
last step his foot slipped through a broken spot on the floor, and he
staggered and fell. The revolver was thrown from his grasp, but he
was able to pitch the bag through the window as he crashed to the
floor.

The sound arrested Harris, and before Gardiner could extricate
himself the farmer was upon him. At first he seemed to think it was
Allan, and felt about in the darkness without attempting to defend
himself. This gave Gardiner an opportunity; he was able to clasp his
arms about Harris's shins, and, with a quick turn of the body, cast
his adversary headlong to the floor. At the same moment he freed
himself from his entanglement and made another dash for the window.

But Harris, still numbed from his heavy sleep, now realized that some
kind of tragedy had occurred, and guessed enough to believe that
Allan was a victim. From his prostrate position, with one powerful
leg he interrupted Gardiner's flight, and the next moment the two men
were rolling on the floor in each other's arms. Harris was much the
stronger man of the two, but Gardiner was active and had some skill
in wrestling. Besides, Harris had been taken wholly by surprise, and
had no idea who his antagonist was, while Gardiner had full knowledge
of all the circumstances, and the struggle was less uneven than might
have been supposed. Inwardly cursing the luck that had thrown the
revolver from his hand, Gardiner sought in the darkness for his
adversary's throat, nose, or eyes. Harris, seizing the younger man by
the waist, lifted him bodily from the floor and crashed him down
again upon it, but the next instant Gardiner had one of his hands in
both of his, and, bringing his knee down with great force on Harris's
elbow, compelled him, at the risk of a broken arm, to turn face
downwards on the floor. Gardiner again wrenched violently to break
free, but Harris's grip was too much for him, so with the quickness
and fury of a tiger he threw himself upon the farmer's back and
wrapped his free arm about his throat. With his air partially c