r man's heart now was a wonder
almost akin to respect for each other's ring knowledge and gameness. It
was not George's first bout by many, but the physical endurance of this
hard, clean-hitting Corinthian of a man was an astounding revelation to
him; the science of the graceful, narrow-waisted figure was still as
quick and as punishing as a steel trap.

Yorke, for his part, reflected with bitter irony how utterly erroneous
had been his primary calculations--how Nemesis was hard upon his heels at
last in the guise of this relentless youngster, who fought like a
college-bred "Charley Mitchell."

Ding! dong!--hook, jab, uppercut, block, and swing; in and out, back and
forth, side-stepping and head-work--one long exhausting round. Flesh and
blood could not stand the pace--though it was Redmond now who forced it.
Neither of the men was in training and the long strain began to tell upon
them both cruelly--especially upon the veteran Yorke. Still, with
frosted hair and streaming faces, the sweat-soaked, bruised and bleeding
combatants staggered against each other and strove to make play with
their weary arms, until utter exhaustion rang the time gong.

Gasping and swaying to and fro, his puffed lips wreathed into a ghastly
semblance of his old scornful smile, Yorke dropped his guard and stuck
out his chin. He mouthed and pointed to it tauntingly. In spite of
himself, a sorry grin flickered over George's battered, weary young face.
He mouthed back--speech was beyond either; sagging at the knees he reeled
forward and his right arm went poking out in a wobbling, uncertain punch.

It glanced harmlessly over Yorke's shoulder, but the violent impact of
his body sent the other heavily to the ground. An ineffectual struggle
to maintain his equilibrium and he, too, fell--face downwards, with his
head pillowed on Yorke's heaving chest.

CHAPTER V

We're poor little lambs who've lost our way,
Baa! Baa! Baa!
We're little black sheep who've gone astray,
Baa--aa--aa!
Gentlemen-rankers out on the spree,
Damned from here to Eternity,
God ha' mercy on such as we,
Baa! Yah! Bah!
KIPLING

A great peace lay upon the frozen landscape--the deep, wintry peace of
the vast, snow-bound Nor'West. A light breeze murmured over the crisping
snow, and moaned amongst the pines in the timber-lined spurs of the
foothills. High overhead in the sunny, dazzling blue vault of heaven a