The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-10-23

lmmovable under the shock and horror
Of such t~reachery. The murderer had
held tightly to his weapon, and Owain's
all had plucked it u again. He looked
With a fascinated y upon the blood
slowly dropping from the point as if
le could scarce believe that he had
truck the blow; his companions were
'ooted to their places.
With a great bound my blood raced
lgain through my veins. 1 burst
through the trees and darted at full
speed o the holder of the dark and
smoking sword. l was not a dozen
yards from him, when a great shout
E1rom the other second caused him to
Fstart and look round. He leaped aside
and ran from mi as nimbly as O hare.
He was in light shoes and I in heavy
c!ding boots.
I stopped and bent over owain. The
sword had been driven In under the
lrmpit and had reached the heart. He
was quite dead, his eyes fixed and
glazing. l closed them and stood up,
and drew off my boots. 20
WHO is this?" cried the duellist, who
aad now picked up his weapon.
The man who killed Owain," Dried
the red-haired murderer. do you take
me?"
I'VE do" answered the other two.
l took his meaning also, and looked
around upon Owain's second. IT was
clear he considered it the best way out
of h difficulty, for his sword was In
his hand and he was watching the
movements Of his companions, ready
to close upon me with them.
Instinctively they had spoken in Eng
fish, which Is used as a private lam
guage among the Welsh gentry, and SO
let me into their plot. They would take
advantage Of my appearance to STAY
me as Owain's murderer. righteously
executed by them.
For a seconu my mind dwelt upoI
the thoughts Of this story recited IL.
Ends presence, and backed UP by the
bodies Of her lover and brother, then I
looked o upon them in the grim
NEST, dealiest earnest I ever felt in my
life. l whipped off my coat, and cast
my sWord-belt loose. I fondled for an
instant the hilt of my trusty blade,
working my fingers round and round It
in a tight and yet tighter grip, then
squared my shoulders and faced to my
work.
I spoke no word to them. Names,
We're they never sc truthful, were not
to the purpose for the moment. Men
who could act as they were acting
would be little moved at hearing their
deeds rightly described. I hoped to
balance accounts with other coin.
No n had get moved a step in my
direction. l vas ringcd about on three
sides and 1t seemed as if the task was
something too gross even for them to
put in hand instantly. I glanced round,
meeting each eye in turn and read con-
dence in each cruel and curious glance
thai measured Inc.
The certainty they felt about knock
ing me on the head was a point in my
favor, and decided not to wait a COM
bined attack, when I must play three
points at once, d thing impossible on an
open field.
Turning short, 1 flew at the murderer,
to whom I was yet the nearest and
against whom my wrath burned hot
test. l was upon him with a sudden
sW1ftness which surprised myself. My
feet seemed winged; I felt not the earth
under me; my name was vengeance.
His small, foxy eyes burned like coal
as leaped upon him, but he stood his
ground, I'M prepared to receive me
upon his s~wordpoint.
Six feet from him I drove my heel
into The turf n checked myself dead.
He made his stroke. I beat it swiftly
aside n repaid IT with a famous botte
d'Espagne, which had never failed me
but once, and then with Ieuan. This
fellow, however, was no Wild John, and
| passed mis- guard without a check. Yet
l failed to run him through as 1 had in
tended, for he was as nimble as q Wild
cat and lodged the fatal blow, taking
his point in his shoulder, and that but
slightly.
l had no time to mend the thrust, for
upon the instant the other two ran In.
and l was compelled to spring back,
luckily, l / had a greater reach than n
Of my opponents, and I kept them for
awhile at a distance by long. sweeping
blows.
The duelist ran round behind me.
shortening his Weapon to drive it in be-
tween my shoulders. I wheeled and
slashed at him with the full swing of
my arm. He raised his sword to ward
the blow, and the blades clashed to-
gether, striking out red sparks! e.
But there was not the strength in
his wrist to check my rage, and though
I failed to cleave his skull, yet / laid
open his forehead, so that the blood
poured into his eyes and blinded him.
He flung himself to the earth in terror,
expecting to feel my sword through
him within the next moment, but his
brother was too close al my back for
that, and l turned just in time to ward
a furious thrust. My first fury had
passed by now, and I dealt no more
"iitAiilS pioWs d. urge upon my foes.
Instead, l pulled myself together, drew
to my hand, as it were, every trick of
fence Of which I was master, and felt
assured as a man could feel that with
In the next few minutes I should
avenge my friend with my own hand.
But it was not to be. Yet the ven
geance lay close enough. Twice Or
thrice n of them ran to get behind
me, to have me between two points.
But 1 was too quick for them, n
changed my ground time and again.