Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-20
II him CT well in hand. firmly in
- Vt" lost selfcl ntrol.
"If you Insult M again, sir, I'll

u ~ Li4nStst GGi IN manu-, HfHlly III .
~ ~ VI" lost self.cl ntrol
eli ycu Insult M again. sir, I'll
III ~ aver"
I4arrys slow sriile broke across HIS
'noe With all his wariness and cal
auloticn he measured the majors
fgp"o. The attit~ae of mind was not
heroic: it was Harry's, who having
10000 mon will go against him that
has 10000! A fool or hero, Harry
would have said, and be claimed eth
er name. But in the end he reckoned
that he was a match for the major.
He smiled more broadly and raised
his brows, asking of sky and earth
as he glanced around:
Since when have blackmailers
grown so sensitive?"
In an instant Duplay closed with
him in struggle on which hung, not
death. indeed, but an unpleasant and
humiliating ducking. The rain fell
On both: the water waited for one.
The major was taller and heavier;
: Harry was younger and in better
trim. Harry was cooler, too. 1t was
rude hugging, nothing more: neither
of them had skill, nor knew more
; tricks than the dimly-remembered de-
vices of urchinhood. The fight was
most picturesque, most unheroic, but
. it was tolerably grim for all that.
The varying wriggles tho more dig
nified word is appropriated of the en-
counter, ended in stern, stiff grip
which locked the men one to the 9TH
er, Duplay facing down the valley,
Harry looking up the river. Harry
could not see over the majors should
but he saw past them, and sighted a
tall dogcart, driven quickly and rather
harshly down the hill. 1t was raining
hard now, and had not looked like
rain when the dogcart started. Hats
We're being ruined-there was some
excuse for risking broken knees to
the horse and broken necks to the
riders. In the middle of the struggle
. Harry smiled He put out his strength,
: too; and he did not warn his enemy
| of what he saw; yet he knew very well
: who was in the dogcart. Duplay's
Il anger had stirred him to seek prim-
tive, though effective revenge. Har-
;, ry was hoping to infiict a more subtle
punishment He needed only bit of
luck to help him to it; he knew how
) to use the chance when it came-just
. as well as he knew who was in the
dogcart, as we'll as he guessed when
!. the dogcart came.
The luck did not fail. Duplay's,
5 right foot slipped. In the effort to
;, recover himself. he darted out the
left over the edge of the bank. Har-
:, ry impelled him. The major loosed
. y his hold and set to work to save him
!. self. None too soon. Both his legs
: were over. His feet touched water,
= half on, half off, in a ludicrous atti-
tude. Still he slipped, and could not
get hold on the short, slippery grass.
=. At the moment the dogcart was pulled
y up just behind them. What are you
doing?" cried jamie liver, leaning for
I ward in amazement. Nina Zabriska
e sat beside her with wide-open eyes.
e Harry stopped, caught the major un-
9 der the shoulders, and, with great
Z. effort, hauled him up on the bank, 8
y sad sight, draggled and dirty. Then,
as Duplay slowly rose, he turned with
y a start, as though he noticed the new
corners for the first time. He laughed
:, as he raised his cap.
II 1--WE didn't know we were to have
e spectators, said he. "And you near
u ly came in for a tragedy. He was all
u but gone. Weren't you, major?"
8 what are you doing?" cried jamie
j. again. Nina was silent and still,
scrutinizing both men keenly.
"Why, we had been talking about
: wrestling, and the major offered tc
D show me trick which he bet shil
ling would floor me. Only the ground
= was too slippery, wasn't it, major?"
: And the trick didn't exactly come off,
y wasn't foored, so l must trouble you
= for shilling, major"
Major Duplay did not look at jamie,
U Lot; l,a h &c ate
= He spent a few seconds in futile eff
;, fort to rub the mud off his coat with
= muddy hands, he glanced a moment
y at Harry.
- 81 must have another try some day."
4 he said, but with no great readiness
- "Meanwhile-the shillingn de-
v manded Henry, good humored-
n ly, a subtle hooking in his eyes alone
" showing the imaginary character of
!, the bet which he claimed to have
o won.
2 In the presence of those two in
,. quisitive young women, Major Duplay
q did not deny the debt. He felt in his
q pocket, found shilling, and gave 1t
a to Harry Tristram. That young man
n looked at it, spun it in the air. and
Il pocketed it.
Eyes, a revenge whenever you like y
r said ne. And now we'd better get
d home, because it's begun to rain
,f| Begun to! It's rained for half an
hour" said jamie. GROSSLY.
' Has it.! l didn't notice. / was
t, too busy with the majors tricks
II AS he spoke he looked full in Nina
n Zabriskas face. She bore his glance
;, for a moment, then cried to jamie,
v 80, please drive ONT The dogcart
r started; the major, with stiff touch
e of his hat, strobe along the road. Har-
G ry was left alone by the pool. His
gaiety and defiance vanished; he
it stood there scowling at the pool. On
S the surface the honors Of the encoun-
s. ter were indeed his, the real peril re-
l. NAMED, the real battle had still to be
j. fought. 1t was with heartfelt sin
eel cerity that he muttered, as he sought
ol for pipe and tobacco.
81 wish I'd drowned the beggar in
the pool"
n. Ito Be Continued)