Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-10-07

held his own against this finished
swordsman for even so long a period
as half minute, ! am unable to say. 1t
was doubtless due TO the strength of his
bitter hatred and his fury for re-
venge. Even as it was l was too late.
AS dashed towards him Nicholas fair
ly screamed out:
Leave him to me-he is-a-ahI"
He never finished. for de Gomeron
saw his chance, and passed his sword
through the sergeant's throat, and he
fell Imply from Couronne, a dead
man.
Before, however, the free lance could
recover himself, was on him, and
standing in my stirrups, cut at him with
the full swing of my sword. He
parted like lightning, but the force
of the blow beat down his guard,
and although my blade fell fiat
upon his steel cap, he went down like
an OK.
Poor Nicholas was gone! KNEW that
thrust, and once received there was
nothing for it but masses for the soul.
A half-dozen troopers were not 200
yards away, and life lay on the other
side of the Eure. went straight on,
and jumped my horse into the stream.
1t was running high and deep, and as I
fell into the water with splash and
hiss of white foam around me, I heard
another heavy plunge close to my Shout
der, and in the glance l cast toward the
sound, saw that it was the now riderless
Couronne, who had followed her COM
panion Of the night. To ease the horse,
l slipped from the saddle and, hanging
on to the pommel, was towed along by
him as the good beast breasted the
stream bravely. The current set to-
ward the opposite bank, and the force
of it carried us down, it seemed in
moment, fully so yards from the spot
where he had plunged in, to within a
few feet of the opposite shore. Here,
however, the river ran strong and swift
ly, the bank was high, and the horses
could make no Roadway, but kept drift
ing down. By this time the troopers
had reached the scene of the fight, and
! could hear them bowling with anger
as they gathered around their fallen
leaders, and, without head to guide
them, hesitated what to do, each mo-
ment of delay giving me precious time,
and bringing me closer to shelving
bank few yards to the left. Not one
of the troopers dared the stream, and
they had apparently emptied their ar
quebuses after us in pursuit, for none
fred, although they called to each
other: "Shoot him dowp-shoot him
down."
Acouple of men galloped down stream
little below me, and dismounting, be-
gan to load hurriedly, it being evidently
their intention to pick me off as drift
ed past. For the moment gave myself
up for lost; but determining to make
last effort to save myself, made snatch
at the willows that overhung the bank,
and brushed us with their wet and drip
ping leaves, as we struggled underneath.
AS did this, loosed my hold of the
saddle, and the horses slid past me, and
l was dragged by the current right into
the bank. The willows were tough, and
! held on to them like leech, and the
troopers who had seen what was about
began to laugh at me, and adjured me
to hold on tight as they would be ready
to shoot in moment. The fools! They
gave me the moments time l wanted,
and digging my foot into the soft bank,
laid hold of the stem of willow and
with an effort reached the shore. 1
rolled over at full length, and then lay
fiat on my face, whilst the troopers
with many curses ran forward few
feet and let off their arquebuses on the
off chance of bringing me down. They
aimed truly enough, and had not lain
to earth as l did, should infallibly
have been killed, for the bullets whizzed
past, it seemed but few inches above
me. let out yell as if was mortally
hurt, and then rising ran down stream
behind the willows as fast as my
bruised leg would allow me, to see if
could not get back one or both the
horses. My stratagem had the desired
effect, for on my cry of 81 am dead
Il am dead" two others of the men
who had run up to let off their pieces
where l was supposed to be, and they
all shouted: Eve have him = he is
down."
"Morbleaul Not yet" could hardly
refrain from chuckling to myself, as I
hobbled along the bank, and to my joy
saw them in little bay, about hum
dred PAGES from me, moving slowly in
the shallow water, one behind the other,
towards the land. spur had been
thrown out here, evidently with the OBJ
ject of protecting the bank, and it had
cast the main stream on the opposite
shore, and given the beasts chance of
landing.
| feft MY leg at each step l took; but
went on at round pace somehow, and
came up to Couronne just as she was
stepping out of the water. Catching
her by the bride, mounted, although
with some difficulty, and slipping my
hand through the .reins of my own nag.
~ - ~ I'm n - y