The Winslow mail., 1900-02-01
sword" This taunt I swallowed ruefullv,

and Immediately set about my departure.
My companion, who was not mixed up in
the alteration, joined me silently, and we
followed in the direction taken by the troop
ers, pursued by the maledictions of the inn
keeper, who vented his spleen on us as the
indirect cause of his misfotune.
The foragers, who, owing to the warmth
of the weather. had removed their breast
plates, which were slung to their saddles,
were going at a walking pace; and it was
amusing to see how the mere sight of their
presence cleared the streets. Noting, how
ever, that they did not appear to be bent on
personal injury, we did not think it neces-
sary to go out of our course, or delay our
departure until they left the town, and as
we walked fast and they went slowly, by
the time they had reached the main square,
we were not more than dozen yards behind
them.
At this moment we noticed the figure of a
woman, apparently blind, for she was
guided by little dog attached to a string.
The poor creature was crossing the pave
ment almost in front of the leader of the
troop, and, as she was right in the path
of the troopers, we attempted to warn her
by shouting, and she stopped irresolutely,
hardly knowing which way to turn. The
troop leader, without making any effort to
avoid her, rode on in pitiless manner, and
she was flung senseless to the ground. In
this her hood fell back, uncovering her face,
and my companion, suddenly uttering loud
c1y, ran forward, and, seizing her in his
arms, began to address her with every term
of endearment, in the manner of father to
his child.
The troopers halted-discipline it will be
observed was not great-and one of them
with rough sympathy called to my friend
to bear the girl, for so she looked, to the
fountain, at the same time that their CONF
mander gave a loud order to go on, and to
leave off looking at fool and beggar. L
had, however, made up my mind that there
was a little work for me, and, drawing my
sword, stepped up to the swashbuckler's
bride, and asked for five-minutes' inter
view there and then.
He burst into loud laugh. "Corpo di
Bacco! Here is Messer Feather-Cap with his
courage grown. Here, two of you bind him
to the mule"
But the men with him were in no mood
to obey, and one of them openly said:
'1t is always thus with the ancient Brico."
"Do you intend to give me the pleasure
SEEK l asked, cor has the ancient Brico
taken off his heart with his corselet"
For a moment it looked as if he were
about to ride at me; but my sword was
ready, and l was standing too close to him
for any such treachery to be carried off,
Flinging the reins, therefore, to the neck of
his horse, he dismounted slowly and drew
his sword A number of the townsfolk,
attracted by the scene, so far forgot their
fear of the foragers as to collect around us,
and in a few moments a ring was formed,
one portion of which was occupied by the
troopers.
Brico took his stand so as to place the
sun in my eyes, a manifest unfairness, for
we should have fought north and south; yet
l made no objection, and unclasping my
cloak let it fall to the ground behind me.
"a vous" he called out, and the next mo-
n;ent we engaged in the lower circle, my op-
ponent, for all his French cry, adopting the
Italian method, and using dagger to parry.
For few seconds we tried to feel each
other, and | was delighted with the balance
of my sword. 1t did not take me half a min
ute to see that he was child in my hands,
and l began to rapidly consider whether it
would be worth the candle to kill him or
not Brico, who had commenced the as
sault with a stamp of his foot and a sue
cession of rapid thrusts in the lower lines,
became aware of his weakness as soon as
did, and began to back slowly | twice
pricked him over the heart, and his hand
hegan to shake so that ne could hardly hold
his weapon.
make way there" l called out, moclxing-
ly, "the ancient would like to run little"
Maddened by this taunt, he pulled him
self together and lunged recklessly at me in
tierce; it was an easy parry, and with
strong beat | disarmed him. He did not
wait, but with the rapidity of hare turned
and fed, not so fast, however, but that was
able to accelerate his departure with 4
stroke from the fiat of my sword.
"Adieu, ancient Brico!' | called out after
him as he ran on, followed by howl of de-
rision from the crowd, in which his own
men joined.
1t was lucky that adopted the course of
disarming him, for, had the affair ended
otherwise, | doubt not that the men-at-
arms would have felt called upon to avenge
their leader, poltroon as he was. AS it
happened they enjoyed his discontinue and
an old trooper called out to me:
"Wcll fought, signore-you should join
us-there is room for your sword under the
banner of Tremouille. What-no? | am
sorry; but go in peace, for you have rid us Of
Il cur"
Saying this, he rode off, one Of their num-
her leading the ancient's horse by the bride.
l turned now to look for my companion.
He was nowhere to be seen, and on inquiry
l found that he had lifted the girl up, and,
supporting her on his arm, the two, followed
by the dog, had turned down by the
church, and were not in view. 1t would, no
doubt, have been easy to follow, and as easy
TO trace them; but reasoned that the man
must have purposely done this to avoid me;
and after all it was no business ofmine. |
therefore returned my sword to its sheath