The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-14
realized, and the torchlight showed him
male TO the forehead.


your he said. between his teeth.
Eyes, I, from under the Seine and
I had run him through the throat but
for our position, where the advantage
was all his and my reach too short.
He had backed a step up as l spoke.
Whether it was my sudden appearance,
or what, 1 know not; but from this mo-
ment his bravado left him, and he now
fought doggedly, and for dear life.
There was a hush behind me, and the
light became brighter as more torches
were brought, and 1 could now see the
Camarguer, white as a sheet, with two
red spots on his cheeks.
do you like fighting dead man,
monsieur" / asked, as l parted a
thrust in fierce.
He half groaned, and the red spot on
his cheek grew bigger, but he made
no answer, and step by step l forced
him upward.
He had been touched more than
once, and there was stain on his
white satin doublet, that was broaden
ing each moment, whilst thrust and
parry grew weaker, and something, L
know not what, told me he was my
man.
Messieurs. you who may read this,
those at least of you who have stood
sword in hand and face to face with
a bitter foe, where the fight is to the
last. will know that there are moments
when it is as If God himself nerves
the arm, and steels the wrist. And so
it then was with me. l swear that, II
I forestalled each movement Of the
twinkling blade before me, each
artifice and trick of the skillful
swordsman who was fighting for his
life was felt by something that guided
my sword, now high, now low, and
ever and again wet its point against
the broad breast of the Camarguer.
So, too, with him-he was lost, and
he knew it. But he was a brave man,
if ever there was one, and he pulled
himself together as we reached the
upper landing for one last turn with
the death that logged him. So fierce
was the attack he now made that, had
he done so but a moment before when
the advantage Of position was his, l
know not what had happened. But
now-it was different. He was my
man, l was carried away with the IRE
within me, or else in pity I might haye
SHARED hinn-but there is no need to
speak of this more. He thrust too high.
I parted and returned, so that the
cross hilt of my rapier struck DULY
over his heart, and he died where he
fell.
"Denisew he gasped and was gone.
1 stood over him for a moment, a
drumming in my ears, and then I heard
the ringing Of cheers and the rush OF
feet. Then a half-dozen strong Shout
ders were at the door before me, and,
as 1t fell back with crash, l sprang
In and took a tall, slim, white-robed
figure in my arms and kissed her dear
face again and again.
One by one those in the room stepped
JaFt
a brave heart gave way and she
sobbed like a child on my shoulder.
I said nothing, but held her to me.
and so we might have been for half
hour, when I heard De Belin's voice
at the broken door: 'D'Aurtac! Come,
man! The king waits, and bring your
prisoner" There was a laugh in his
voice and a light on his face as he
spoke, and my dear lifted her swim
ming eyes to my face and kissed her
again, saying:
'Come, my prisoner"
AS we passed out I kept between
Claude and the grim figure still lying