Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-07-26

81 severed some 81 tie s1na lef bleed
vessels. think, with proper care
he may srecoVe s b
hank God e eryentl i eiaculat-
ed Ruric with his hands clasped J.
s But Why 50 anxious 2? asked Or:
zen. g on were ready enough to
accept his allenge.' z
faye, else you would have called.
me coward, " returned the gunmak-
er, with a flashing eye. Had ! res
fused to meet him that fatal word
would have met me at every turn. {
knew that such q man as he was no
cope for me at any game where
strength Of arm and sleight Of hand
were required. So I meant to dis
arm him and then give him up his
life, believing that ouch q move
would end the combat. You know
how l labored to spare him But I
could not. Yet I would not have the
life OF fellow being, q Country man.
upon my hands in such quarrel.
My father died fighting for his coun-
try, and so would I die if my death
must come from the hand. Of man:
But to die thus would be "a curse
upon my name, and to infict such
death upon another would be a curse
in my memory. saialfaaaa%s.
q belieye you, my son" the monk
said. ="Only if the count dies you
should not allow such feelings as
you mention to overcome you. In
no way are you to blame for this"
*<True, father. You speak: truly -
added the surgeon. <.The young
man has acted most nobly, and no
blame can be attached to him"
= Ruric. seemed somewhat relieyed
by, these assurances, and, having
seen the counts wound dressed and
assisted in, bearing the insensible
form, to the sledge, he took Alaric's
Prof:ered arm and proceeded to his
own team. -.
"Who is that monk - asked the
lieutenant as they. entered their
sledge. :.
: II only know that he is called
Vladimir" returned Ruric. II have
only seen him once before. Have
you ever seen him ere this o..
90. eyes; several times about our bar
racks. He has been there when
some of our poor fellows have been
sick. and dying. He seems to he
good hearted man and, I judge,
quite intelligent"
81 agree with you there" our hero
said. II think he is a good man, but
there is nevertheless a mystery
about him which I cannot solve
His countenance is familiar to me,
and yet I cannot tell where nor when
I have seen him.
"Aye," added Alaric quickly and
eagerly; fFthat is precisely the case
with me. l am very sure that I have
seen that man under different cir
cumstances: And others Of our COM
pany have thought the same.'' - #
The two men watched the move
ments of the monk while thew thus
spoke, and they noticed that he en-
tered his sledge: and drove off to-
ward Borodino. 49,
''Ruric," said the lieutenant after
they had rldden.some little distance
and at the same time gazing won.
deringly into his companions face,
you handle the sword like magi-
clan. .By'my soul, I'd give all I own
at this present moment, my commits
sion and all, if I could hand lie the
sword as you can" =: -. :.>--~
81 DO understand the weapon
passing well,' returned the youth
modestly, <<but 1 have worked hard
to gain the science. - !
.<sAh,, It's not all SCIENCE" the off,
Ger added. EsThat wondrous strength
Of yours is a host in. ITSELF - =
"And yet,' said Runc, II have
seen weaker men than myself who
would overcome me easily or. at
least, who might overcome me-
"But they were not in this city,"
suggested Orsa, with a peculiar
shake of the head. y. - ..-, -,
'<True, .Alaric. I am not in the
habit of.mentioning my own powers,
but yet l may say that there is no
man in Moscow who is nay superior
in the use of any sort Of offensive
arms:''' - - !. e@..s 55sei2
The lieutenant readily admitted
the truth Of this, and then the con-
versation turned upon the subject
of the count and the course he had
pursued with respect to the event
which had just : TRANSFERRED: - This
conversation lasted until they reach
ed the. door of Ruric's residence,
and, having thanked his friend for
hio Lin1roes or1 nvrroeena %bntLo,>