John swung his axe at the wood lying on the block in front of him. to an observer it would have seemed that he was just chopping wood for next winter. But all he could see was Burt Edding being led to the executioner like one of those French nobles that Miss Virginia had once told him about. At one time John had considered Burt a good friend, but that had been before...

The thought of Miss Virginia in Burt Edding's arms inflamed his cooling anger and he swung the axe again, hard. Just because Burt had been to college and owned a model A didn't give him the right to move in on John's girl.

As the sun began to move towards the horizon John ceased his labors and sharpened his axe. His father had told him that a man should always keep his axe sharp, because he never knew when he might need it. How right his father had been. John was certain he'd need it again very soon.