led him on until he had discovered the gold. Now he had quite forgotten
the person whose tracks led him to the spot.

He was shocked into instant and vivid realization of peril by a cold
pressure on his temple and a voice which said in the preciseness of a
foreigner:

"Now I have you, sir. Now I shall kill you, sir."

In that instant Johnny prepared himself for his final earthly sensation.
He had recognized the voice of the Russian.

There came a click, then a snap. The next instant the revolver which had
rested against his forehead struck the frozen roof of the mine. The
weapon had missed fire and, between turns of the cylinder, Johnny's good
right hand had struck out and up.

The light snapped out, and in the midnight darkness of that icy cavern
the two grappled and fell.

Had Johnny been in possession of the full power of his left arm, the
battle would have been over soon. As it was they rolled over and over,
their bodies crushing frozen bits of pay-dirt, like twin rollers. They
struggled for mastery. Each man realized that, unless some unforeseen
power intervened, defeat meant death. The Russian fought with the
stubbornness of his race; fought unfairly too, biting and kicking when
opportunity permitted. Three times Johnny barely missed a blow on the
head which meant unconsciousness, then death.

At last, panting, perspiring, bleeding and bruised, Johnny clamped his