The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-16

riT With such frantic force that the mere
blow Of the hilt against the end q his
h-saSthone sent him six paces before he
fell. and LEFT my reoking blade ready for
the other I sprang anon him with such
- lust for blood upon me as had never
felt. ard never have felt in all my DAYS.
As / turned a dagger flashed before my
eyes. and / felt the cold wind OF IL pass
my neck and the villains wrist lar upon
my shoulder. ! shortened my sword but
he WINGED away from me- and an instant
afterward was in fun fight. bounding like
deer across the glade in the moonlight.
But he was not 70 escape me thus I
knew that the rnurderer's poniard had
done its work. Young as l was had seen
enough Of war 10 know mortal blow.
paused fer an instant 90 touch the cold
hand. Sire! Sire.' ! cried in an agony,
and then. as no sound came hack, aud
nothing moved save an ever-widening
dark circle in the moonlight knew thar
All was. indeed. over. I spranE madiy TO
my feet threw OF my great coat and ran
at the top Of nay speed after the remaining
assassin.
Oh, how blessed the wisdom which had
caused me 70 come in shoes and CATERS
And the happy cause which had thrown
off my coat. lie could not get rid OF his
mantle. this wretch. or else he was 100
frightened 10 think OF it. So il was that I
gained upon him from the beginning. lie
must have been out of his wits, for he
never tried 10 bury himself in the darker
parts Of the woods, but he few on from
glade 20 glade until he came TO the heath
land which leads UP TO the great Fontaine-
h!eau quarry. Thus I had him in fun
sight. and knew that he could not escape
me. He ran well, IL IS true-ran as
coward runs when his life is the stake.
But | ran as Destiny runs when it gets
behind mans heels. Yard ny yard I
drew in upon him. He was rolling ard
staggering. 1 could hear tho rasping and
cracking Of his breath. The great gulf
of the quarry suddenly yawned in front
Of his path. and. glancing at me over his
shoulders, he gave a shrek OF despair.
The next instant he had vanished from my
sight
Vanished utterly, you understand.
rushed 10 the spot and gazed down into
the black abyss. Had he hurled himself
over? l had about made up my mind that
he had done so. when a gentle sound ris-
ing and falling came out of the darkness
beneath me. II was his breathing once
more. and IL showed me where he must
be. He was hiding in the Toulouse.
At the edge of the quarry and beneath
the summit there is a small platform,
upon which stands a wooden hut for the
use of the laborers. IL was into this. then,
that he had darted. Perhape he had
thought. the fool. that in the darkness I
would not venture TO follow him. He lit
tie knew Etenne Gerard. With a spring
l was on the platform. with another L
was through the doorway. and then. hear
ing him in the corner. I hurled myself
down upon the top of him.
He fought like a wildcat. but he never
had chance with his shorter weapon. /
think that I must have transfixed him
with the first mad lunge, for though he
struck and struck his blows had no power
in them, and presently his dagger tinkled
down upon the floor. When | was sure
that he was dead | rose up and passed ont
into the moonlight. l climbed up on 10
the heath again. and wandered across it
as nearly out of my mind as a man could
be. With the blood singing in my ears
and my naked sword stll Clutched In my
hand ! walked aimlessly on. until look
ing around me. I found that ! had come
as far as the glade of the Abbot's Beech
and saw In the distance that gnarled
stump which must ever be associated
with the most terrible moment of my life.
I sat down upon n fallen trunk with my
sword across my knees, and my head be-
tween my hands. and | tried 10 think
about what had happened, and what would
happen in the future
CHAPTER V.