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or best fattened his Interest. The more
the situation ran before me, the more
my breast took fire. 1 sustained strict
face, however, engaged as l was upon
the parade ground of honor and IN the
service of a gentleman. Still, L SAID
enough, and said it in such fashion
that Pigeon-breast now a little nerV-
Gus when the actual steel was about
to be drawn, saw nothing for it but
to bring forward his fellow. This,
admit, he managed in genteel way;
nor did Catron either whiten or lag
backward, but stepped to his place as
might he who is warm for vengeance.
l did not like this Catron's looks; sure
ly the creature was a blackguard with
no right to name himself among gem
tlefolk, only so far as one might lie
within the accident of decent birth.
But he seemed stout enough of kid
ney though that may have grown with
belief in his infallible craft of the
sword.
We gave out men their arms; and
as, stripped to their shirts, they stood
apart, awaiting signal to engage, Noah
put point to floor and bearing hard
upon the hilt,g bent his blade double.
Abruptly lifting his hand, the honest
steel sprang straight, and the sword
was tossed high in the air. AS it fell,
with the clear sureness of legerdemain,
Noah caught it by the hilt. 1t was no
more than a flourish of the fencing
school, perhaps; but it served to
hearten me nightly and to put me con-
fident of victory. Neither was it want
ing in effect, l may suppose, on the
volatile Pigeon breast and his man,
Catron; 1 thought on their side it made
somewhat for certain seriousness of
face.
Speaking now of the battle, I must
warn you of my inability to tell the
tale in nice and hair-lne strokes. 1t
was notable fight, vigorously sus-
tanned and fairly made; but indubita-
bly, it did not remain in one like my
self-wholly ignorant Of that fencing
which pushes or stabs, and admirable
with a saber no farther than striking
a downright blow with the edge-to
catch close work, and taste the merit
of it. | have no more of fencing than
of Sanscrit, and remember no work,
of my own of that character beyond
splitting an Indians head like a pump
kin in a skrlnish on the Tombigbee
l am strong of arm, and having the
day before come across the long hair
of seven white women, murdered at
Fort Mimms, smoke-drying in the wig
vans of a Creek village we sacked,
l doubtless smote upon that savage
with uncommon violence.
men the PAIR engaged, tnere were
preliminary moments employed in
feeling one another's strength. The
swords kept up an incessant thin rasp-
ing, with an occasional singing note
as they parted company for thrust or
parry. Even my uneducated vision OBJ
served from the commencement how
Noah held the better of it. His ad-
dress was superior; and l should say
that, with SITTER wrist, he was with
al the more falcon-like in assault, and
reader of recovery.
Catron, by his brow of fury, meant
death if he might only clothe his point
for it. That was not to be. On the
heels of a desperate stroke-it was fell
low to a dozen that preceded it
which Noah foiled with blade describ-
ing circle no bigger than a curtain
ring, Catron, flushed cheek faded to
CHASTITY gray. For the moment 1
thought him touched; but no, it was
but the sudden duanting conviction
that he had met his master This,
breaking on him like the boom of a
death-bell, and how his life stood now
naked before one whom he had so pro-
voked, ate the yolk from his courage
like a weasel.
Catron foresaw his downfall before
we who looked on might tell. And if
/ am to understand a, gray, drawn face,
then the news taught him the bitter
ness of death itself.
In the opening exchanges, Catron at
tackled. He was in and out with a
hateful ferocity, thrusting and press
ing, as one whose merest wish is MUIR
der. Noah gave backward not at all.
but stood like a wall, risking all on
eye and wrist. 1 could not catch the
sleight of it, but again and again, as
Catron thrust, 1 could see the lead
colored blade glimmer by Noah's side
with not an open inch to give away.
AS Noah told me later, however, an
inch in fencing is a wide margin.
Catron felt his strength slip from
him; it was like the sands running
from an hour glass. But the rogue's
heart summoned stOutness. Finding
himself going. Catron must crowd the
strife to an end before it ended him,
He leaped back to get his distance:
then without pause, and giving a sort
of believing, roaring cry that may
have been a scheme for terror he
sprang forward, sending on his point
as straight as the stroke of q serpent.
What befell was like the lightning's
fash; and no mans gaze however
trained to the trick of it. might follow.
Noah did not parry, but stood aside
from the others point, which passing.
graZed his garments. Noah's point.
in retort, entered Catron's sword arm
just above the guard. 1 saw Noah hold
a
bit lowered. From the sheer forward
plunge of the other, Noah ripped up
his foes arm-split it like a mackereii
from the wrist to shoulder. 1t was
a gaping furow of a wound; and the
horrid shock of ii, when Noah's steel
caught in the shoulder bones, brought
the wretched Catron to the floor. The
blood ran away in a crimson rivulet
from the PROSTATE one; and to tell
the best and the worst of me, I've vet
to look on blood, or anything besides.
which brought me so much of COM
fort and of the sweetness of peace.
While the surgeon, needle and lint
going. dealt with Catron, 1 conveyed
Noah to the end of the room. We
must await the report Of yon fellows
condition; we could not leave the field
without consent of Pigeon breast
quite pale and stricken now, was Pig
con- breast, as he stood watching while
the bandages were wound.
Following a nod of the surgeons.
Pigeon-breasted came towards me. /
HllILL@IE