Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-11-01

hduBHt put StTlhe MS point uOWH anu
then put all my strength OF arm, wrist
and body to turn my blade under his.
/ did so, Goo knows how, but I'm an in
slant l felt my point at his hilt and
with a wrench his rapier jumped TWEEN
" feet away. BY the force of the twist
he was swung half round sideways ia
me, and, tripping over his W feet, he
fell towards me--'twas all so quick |
could not tell how 1t happened-but |
suddenly felt my sword touch his left
side under the arm, n instinctively I
jumped back and drew my blade away
Down he went, dat on his side, with one
foot twirled around the other. and l
stood waiting as he got up.
The others jumped forward to him.
But he pushed them hastily aside and
STROBE up to me, as l stood there dazed
and painting, and grasped my hand.
No a word did he say for an instant.
Then, turning to the others:
MY friends, It's a new thing for
Anterior to do. But o saw him! He
could have run me through by stand
more with such "A mani" Then, turn
ing to me, he went on: Mr.. Merton, |
was drunk last night, and what /
said
Not another word, captain" said L.
TITS over, and. thank God, nc harm
done, Let the thing die here AND now"
They crowded about me and shook
my hand, and | know not what that
had done, and quite naturally the
prince said:
And now to Faunce's Tavern for
breakfast" And, moving off, we left
Hazeltine and his two men OH the field
without n word. But after passing the
~shipyards they went on into Rutgers
street, and just before we came to Cow
EN.Nn III NhA., I'LL -, q - Y
with them, turned suddenly into a gar
den and entered what | found later
was the famous Walton mansion Of the
Rutgers family. where the prince FOR
the time lived.
Twas n magnificent mansion with
great pieces of furniture; the banquet
a alone as large as two ordinary
dwellings,. We passed into the hall
and through 1t into a library, where
sat a table covered with bottles and
cold food, enough for n hundred, II
seemed to me. l could not but express
my surprise at this plenty and magnifi-
enc In the midst OF 90 much poverty
and scarcity elsewhere in the city.
All, you do not know how we live"
cried Sproat. For whole weeks we
eat nothing but salt beef, and then in
comes a foraging party, and the whole
town gorges for Il week"
The young prince took the head OF
the table and all set to work In the hot,
murky air, opening bottles and dishing
out the food. No one waited on us,
and We were indeed a jovial party, all
there but the doctor, who said he must
go, and looked at me mesninglE as he
added:
Come to my Office, young man,
when you've eaten, n let me dress
your arm" Indeed, what could be a
simpler way Of completing my plan
with him than by this ordinary APP
pointment. Strange that ] should be
sitting with these enemies of my Gown
try and yet growing to like them!
Strange that I should be deceiving mel.
that, whatever else they might be, were
men of honor through and through!
Strangest Of all, that Anterior could
not do enough for me since my unCon-
scious saving of his life!
No n referred TO my near arrest.
nor questioned us as to It's cause. And
Acton soon had them roaring with
laughter with his quaint remarkS and
his ioVial songs. The only thing l no
ticed was a man at the rear door and
another at the front in the hail, both
standing motionless and evidently
watching to guard that we should not
be surprised.
mi. Merton" cried the prince, rising,
you are a good sword and u better
| 6SlINlSitlub, III Il give yC lOllS lIle anu
the girl most to your heart"
Nay, nay, SIR" cried |, for the wine
went to the proper spot, and / felt at
least one load off my BAG since the
early morning, its the wrong order.
a a to his royal highness hrst!"
There was a cry of applause. But Nc
would not have it so. And, l still in
| sisting, we stood there, glasses in hand,
laughing and protesting and all talk
ing at once, till Acton in his big voice
roared that twas a shame to lose the
chance to drink the wine, and Atherton
cried out:
80 it is! Then l give you them both:
The first gentleman of Europe and the
first gentleman of the last hour!"
out must come mother roar of APP
plause, II so went the toast. And as
the major dipped out the newly-:nade
punch from a huge bowl, Acton set the
key for Landlord, fill the flowing
BOWL and we roared out the song into
n another's ears, standing, n with
the glasses in our hands, turning now
to one, now to another, with the glasses
clinking, some beating time with the
left hand, till Atherton began q march
ing movement around the table, and We
ali must needs fall into line, tramping
round and round, and yelling Out the
rave old song over and over again.
Finally we Hoped down into chairs
and up jumped Sproat n cried:
An now, gentl'm'n," II he held VI
his glass, now, confus'n t our en- mics.
Egad! I'm a bit Confus'd mesel, no.
no! S a joke! d we see? S a joke, s
In a sinner! He ho! ha! hal"
"Confus' 'em, il ye like" roared Ac.
ton, but thy're brave men, too"
AYE, so the are! s. tn are!" cried
the prince, banging his hand down or
| tha 10 hIa with "a hmm and q gypi.L, +Lo,
sent half OF the bottles crashing on the
floor. i've learned that since I've heer
here. n we B%ritishers always want
a good emmy. Eth, my friends, is't moi
so, eh?"
- t is! So t is, y'ighness!" roared
the crowd.
"Confound and good luck to emf
cried Atherton.
AYE, good luck to emf" l cried. put
ting my glass high above my head. lii
a moment Atherton was on the table
and we standing round him on the nooi
trying to reach our glasses up to his.
Good luck to en-" cri the crowd
and down went the extraordinary toast
with no heel-tapS for at least two in
that jovial gang.
AS they began another song-those
that could sing more-the young Prince
came round to me and said INSTEAD
lly:
"Now's your time, Merton Out by the
garden, and good luck to we. l dom
know our trouble, but you've got nc
harm at our hands" and he held out
his own. l thanked him and got Ac-
ton away and out into Cherry street
in the warm sun, and so on by Queen
street to our boarding house. There ]
left him singing snatches to himself
and, bidding him W. tch out for him
self and for Cutris, If he should come,
l made my way TO Or. Lows,