Very soon he must overtake him.
And then--there would be a fight.

In the tense minutes that followed, the vision of Isobel's beautiful face grew less and less distinct in his mind.

It was filled with something more grim, something that tightened his muscles, kept him ceaselessly alert.

He would come on DeBar--and there would be a fight.

DeBar would not be taken by surprise.
At noon he halted and built a small fire between two rocks, over which he boiled some tea and warmed his meat.