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

5eda quarrel Wl' with i me, and yous have.
allenged me. have no fear IS.
death when duty cal Is for LIE f
but I would not die thus, nor oulds
I Stay a5felloW being thus Six .sep-5
arate times today since our swords
first crossed have I spared your
life" ;,...
sLiar!" .,'''1s' = : - $ .1=z
ttand twice have I had you be-
fore me- unarmed, 2 Ruric continued
without noticing the interrup tion.
q had hoped this. would have shown
you that I sought not harm to you
and, furthermore that you were no
match for me at this kind Of work.,
..Out, foolp' yelled Dam noff, now
fairly frpthing with rage. g II you
dare not crsss swords again, say. So,
but do not crawl off like a cowardH'
Gone word more;H uttered Ruric,
| paling for an instant beneath the
unmerciful insult of the senseless
tongue that assailed him, and he
stood proudly erectwhile he spoke,
E'before these. men here assembled
and before God I swear that thus
far I have spared you, but my own
life may be the forfeit if I trife with
you more. So now beware. You
have sufficient warming,
Perhaps the count really over
looked the facts of which Ruric had
spoken. In his ungoyernable rage
he may have fancied that. twas only
accident that had worked against
him. \ However, he started forward
once more and made a furious lunge
at his antagonist. >~'~~@~~:
Now he gasped, ="play your
best, for my swords my own"
But Ruric spoke not. He saw that
the: count was stronger than before
for his rage seemed to give him a
maniac's' power-and that he was
earnest only TOR life or death. He
struck quickly and furiously, and
his movements were strange and un~
precedented. He threw up all rules
of exercise and cut and thrust only
in wild madness. Twice Ruric came
nigh being run through. He lost all
run of his opponents play and
quickly saw that he must put stop
to the conflict or run the risk Of
leaving aN,childless mother in his
home to see that days sun sink:
evil you give o'er?" he asked as
he struck the counts point down.
Never! Submit to such as you q
Bahp'
A few moments more the conflict
lasted. One more opportunity he
had at Damonoff's heart, and he
spared him. All present saw it save
the mailman.
ftFoolp'. uttered the monk, who
trembled from head TO foot with ex-
citement, his huge belly shaking like
bag Of jelly. "Will you throw
away your own life, Ruric Newell?
Shall I tell your mother you left her
Of your own will?' :, :. Il. j: - >.
+ This mention of his mother called
the last lingering doubt from :Ru=
RIGS mind. Again he struck the op-
posing point down, and then he
pressed his oun point upon the
counts bosom. He avoided the
heart-he tried to avoid the vita1s-
but he threw his arm forward, and
his glittering blade passed through
the FOOLS body. With an expires
sion Of pain upon his features he,
started back and. rested his reeking
point upon the trodden snow. The
count came furiously on again, but
he struck wildly and at random, Ru-
ric merely warding off his blows, un---
til finally his arm sank. On the next
moment his sword fell from his
nerveless grasp, and he sank, faint
ing, back into the arms of his at
PENDANTS. '.