Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-12-24

|
We'll, If you must, you must, " answer
! ed Pereira- And Leonard observed that
| he looked relieved rs he said Ii. He did not
| know the reason ut the time 1t was this:
Juanna had told him that the man who
| bought her would find his death in IL. He
had superstitious fear of the girl and
believed her. Therefore he was glad that
her purchaser should go, lest it might be
said that he had murdered him in order
to retain both the woman and her price.
So he babe him farewell, and Leonard
turned TO depart. followed by Otter and
Juanna, whom he led by the hand.
And now all might have gone well for
that time had il not been for an unlucky
chance. Leonari's scheme was to walk
towari--the water gate, but If ID better
plan of reaching it should offer to turn
| suddenly and run for tne drawbridgc,
| where Soa and the others would be wait
| ing.
ALREADY he. had started when the great
| Portuguese, Xavier, who had been watch
ing, plunged in sullen thought, stepped
forward AT least i will have n kiss for
| my troahlc," he said, and seizing Juanna
| round the waist he drew her toward him.
Then ff that Leonard forgot his
csmtion, - under such circumstances a
man with nerves already strained to
breaking print well might do. Doubling
his fist, he struck the giant in the face
| with such force that Xavier fell hcadlong
to the ground, dragging Juanna with
him. Leonard would have done better to
have suffered her TO be insulted, but just
| then he rennm bered only that he was pro-
| tecting a helpless girl
| Juanna vas mp in a moment and at his
side. Xavier also sprang to his feet, ours
ing with fury and drawing his saber as he
| rose.
| Follow me-" said Leonard to Juanna
/ xrft al ha
took to his heels.
4 shout Of laughter went up from the
mob
This is the brave man. This is the
| French fire cater" they cried He strikes
unawares and is afraid to fight" Nor did
| they stop at words. All of them were
| jealous of the stranger and would have re-
| joiced to see him dead
stop himl" they shouted, and scores
| of men started running like dogs to turn
| n hare.
Still Leonard might have won through
for he was swift of foot but neither Juan
| ma nor Otter could ruin as fast as he, and
his pace must be their pace. Before he
had gone so yards he found himself con-
| frontcd by n dozen or more men, some of
whom had knives in their hands.
| Stop, coward, stop and fight" they
| yelled in Portuguese and Arabic, waving
/ their Knives In MS lace
| Certainly" answered Leonard, wheel
| ing round and CHANGING about him.
There, not so yards away, was the
| drawbridge of vhe slave camp, and he
thought he saw it trembld as if it was
about TO fall. Toward him rushed the
great Portugee screaming imprecations,
| sabcr aloft and MS hideous face red with
/ blood At his side were Otter and Juanna.
Otter he said quickly as he drew his
i sword guard my back il you can, for
| when l have killed him the rest will
| spring. For you, young lady, reach the
| bridge if you may. SOa and your people
i are there" Now Nuvier was upon him
| with rush. He struck furiously, and
| Leonard avoided the blow, springing back
! ward out of reach. Twice he rushed ron
| thus, and twice he smote, but each time
| Leonard ran backward toward the draw
| bridge that now was not more than 20
yards away \ fourth time the Portu-
| gucse came on, and the EnGlishman could
not repeat his tactics, for the mob hon.
| med him in behind. On sped Xavier and
| smote his hardest. Leonard saw the steel
| glcam in the moonlight and lifted his
| sword to guard. The blow fell, fire sprung
| from it in sparks, and down ratified the
| fragments of shattered steel. His sword
| was broken.
| Fight on, baas," said the voice of OF
ter. Fight on. Both swords have gone"
Leonard looked up. 1t was true. The
Portugce was casting aside his broken
weapon and clutching at his knife Now,
| Leonard had no knife, and at the moment
| he never thought of his revolver. But he
| still held the hilt of his sword, and with
| it he sprang straight ut Navicr. who rush.
ed to meet him. They met with n dull
shock as bull meets bull. He struck one
| blow with the broken sword hilt, then
| dropped 1t. 1t was useless.
| I(llr 10 did him pC1Nd service for
falling on the right hand of the Portugec
il paralyzed ii for n second, causing him
to let fall the dagger. Then they grippcd
each other, fighting desperately with their
naked strength alone. Twice the huge
Portugcc lifted the Englishman from the
ground, striving to throw him, while the
crowd yelled with excitement. But twice
he failed. Not for nothing had Leonard
| learned wrestling rs a lad and hardened his
iron muscles by years of toll. Xavier may
| have weighed 16 stone, and he did not
| weigh Is, but his arms were like bars of
| steel, and he was struggling for his life.
He waited awhile. letting the Portugee
exhaust himself in efforts to hurl him to
the ground. Then, suddenly tightening
his grip, Leonard put out his strength. He
| could not hope to lift the man, that he
knew, but he might throw him. With n
| sudden movement he hooked his right leg
| behind Xavier's left calf. Then he cast
his weight forward and pushed with all
his strength upon the great mans breast.
Xavier tottercd, recovered himself, totter-
ed again and strovc to shift his leg. Leon
| ard felt the movement and met 1t with n
| supreme effort. Losing his balance, his
foe swaycd slowly backward like n falling
tree then fell with n thud that shook the
ground. 1t was n gallant throw, and even
the ranks of Tusculum" as represented
by the slave drivers could scarce forbear
| ha
breast of the man, for he was pulled down
with him.
For a moment his enemy was still
breathing stertorously, for the shock of
the fall had been great. Leonard looked
around. There, some eight feet away, was
the knife and he who could grasp it must
win this deadly game But how could he
grasp itf Xavier, whose strength and
powers were coming back, still Rugged
him in his fearful grip. He also saw the
, knife and would win it. Rapidly, almost
l instinctively, Leonard measured the dis
tance with his eye. There was but one
plan-to roll to it. The first roll would
leave him undermost, but the dagger
would still be out of Xavier's reach. Then
If he could only succeed In turning him
upon his back once moro Leonard would
be uppermost again, and IL he was able &c
free his hand 1t might grasp the dagger.
1t was a terrible risk, but he must take 1t.
He lay motionless awhile, outstanding
! his force, and the Portugee surged and
heaved beneath him. He could feel the
muscles of his mighty frame start up in
u knots as he struggled. At last he let him
have his way, and over they went, the two
: of them. Now Xavier was uppermost, and
u the mob yelled in triumph, for they
/ thought that the strangers strength wa.
spent.
n THE knife, the knife!'' gasped Xavier
Il . l. g..