The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-13
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER HI.
| IN WHICH MY ENEMY SCORES FIRST.
True to his promise. Richard Jennifer met
me in the cool gray birthlight of the new
day at turn in the river road not above
mile or two from the rendezvous, and
thence we logged on together.
After the greetings, which, as you may
| like to know. were grateful enough my
part, 1 would fain inquire how the baronet
had taken his seconds detection; but Of
this Jennifer would say little. He had brok
en- with his principal, whether in anger or
not could only guess: and one of Falcon
nets brother officers, that younger of the
twain who had cried shame at the baronet's
vile boast, was to serve In his stead.
1t was such day-dawn as have some
times seen in the Carpathians; cool and
clear. but with that sweet dewy wetness in
the lower air which washes the overnight
| cobwebs from the brain, and is both meat
and drink TO one who breathes It, On the
| left the road was overhung by the border
| ing forest. and where the branches dropped
lowest we brushed the fragrance from the
wild grape bloom in passing. On the right
the river, late in flood, eddied softly; and
sounds other than the murmuring of the
waters the matin songs of the birds and
the dust-muffied hoof-beats of our horses
there were none. Peace, deep and abiding,
was the keynote of natures morning hymn:
and In all this sylvan byway there was
| naught remindful of the fierce internecine
warfare af1ame in all the countryside. Some
rough forging of this thought hammered
out for Jennifer as we rode along. and his
laugh was not devoid of bitterness.
"Old Mother Nature ruffies her feathers
little enough for any teapot tempest of
ours" ne said. But speaking of the cruel
ties, we provincial savages, as my Lord
| Cornwallis calls us, have no monopoly. The
| curdling stories of Colonel Tarleton's do
ings. 'Tis said he overlook some of Mr..
| Lincoln's reinforcements come too late
They gave battle but faint-heartedly, being
all unready for an enemy, and presently
threw down their arms and begged for
Quarter-begged, and were cut down as they
| stood"
"Faughr said l. THAT is but hangman' S
work. And yet in London heard that this
| same Colonel Tarleton was with Lord Howe
the ladies'.
.Jennifer's laugh was neither mirthful nor
pleasant.
"'Tis weakness of the SEX" he scoffed.
1.-THE women have a fondness for a man
with dash of the brute in him.
/ laughed also. but without bitterness.
"You say it feelingly. Do you speak by
the book?''
AYE, that do Now here is my Lady
Madge preaching peace and all manner of
patience to me IN one breath, and upholding
| in the next this baronet captain who,
though 1 would have seconded him at a
pinch, Is but pattern of this brutal
colonel
1 put two and two together.
so Falconnet is on terms at Appleby
| Hundred. is hep
.'Oh. surely. Gilbert Stair keeps open
house for any and all of the winning hand,
The thought of this unspoiled young
maiden having aught to do with such a
thrice-accursed despoiler of women made
my blood boil afresh and in the heat of ii
1 let my secret slip, or. rather, some small
part of it.
''Sir Francis had ever a sure hand with
the women" / said; and then could have
bitten my masterless tongue.
"So?" queried Jennifer. Then this is not
your first knowing of him?''
NO" So much / said and no more.
We rode on in silence for a little space
and then my youthing must needs break
out again fresh beseechings.
Tell me what you know of him. and
what it was he said of Madge," he en-
treated. You can't deny me now. Jack"
81 and shall. 1t matters not to you
or to any what he is or has been.'
Because. as God gives me strength and
skill, 1 shall presently run him through.
and so his account will be squared once for
|
God speed you." quoth my loyal ally. 81
knew not your quarrel with him was SO
bitter"
''It is to the DEATH"
so it seems. In that case, If by any ac-
cident he"
OWNED what he would say and broke in
NAY. Dick; if he thrusts me out, you
must not take up my quarrel. know not
where you learned to twirl the steel, or
VnfI fla a fnu In fha fret hon
have seen him kill a man who was reck-
oned the best short sword in my old regi-
ment of the Blues.
Content yourself" said my young Hot
spur. grandly. "If you spare him he shall
answer to me for that thing he said OF
Madge Stair; this though know not what
1t was he said"
smiled at his fuming ardor, and glanc
ing at the pair of pistols hanging from his
saddle-bow. asked II he could shoot.
Then make him challenge you and
choose your own weapon. 'Tis your only
hope, and poor enough at that / fear.
have heard he can clip guinea at ter
PAGES"
From that fell silent again, being but
a little way from the rendezvous. and SC
continued until, at sudden turn in the
road, We came in sight of a rude barricade
of feled trees barring the way. Jennifel
saw it first and then pulled up short, loos-
ing his pistols In their cases as he drew
Ware the wood.' he said sharply and
none too soon, for even as he spoke the
glade at our left filed as by magic with q
motley troop deploying into the road as tc
surround US.
Now. who are these?" asked: friend.
or foes?''
Foes who will hang you in your owr
halter strap: Jan Howarts Tories-tht
same that burned the Westcotts in their
cabin a fortnight since. Will your horse
take that barricade. think your
| .Aye-standing, If need be-
''Then at them in Gods name. Charger
1t needed but the word and we were IL
the thick of it. I remembered my old field
marshais maxim. Won Feinden umringt. is
die Zeit zu zerschmettern; and truly, beinl
so plentifully outnumbered. did strik,
both first and hard.
A line of the ragged horsemen strung IT.
self awkwardly across the road to guarc
the fiimsy barricade. and this we Charged
stirrup TO stirrup. In the dash there was
scattering volley from the wood, answered
| instantly by the bellowings of Jennifer'.
great pistols; and then We came to tn,
steel.
1t was my first fieshing of the good ole
Andrea, and a better balanced blade L hat
never swung In hand-to-hand mellay. A,
we closed with the half dozen defenders O
the barrier. Jennifer reined aside to Civ,
me room to play to right and left, and II
the midst OF IL went nigh TO death becaus
| he held his hand to watch cut and doubI.
thrust of mine.
"Over with your shouted. pricking tn
man who would have moved him dowr
= with great scythe handled a sword.
Our horses took the barrier I'm fiyin,
leap straining themselves for the race be
yond- When We had pulled them down to
foot pace we were safely out OF rife sho
| and there was space TO count the cost