Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1903-01-24
the devil are your"

The moment the name fell on Thi-
baut's ears the giant gave q giants
laugh.
Are you Francois Villon?" he thun-
dered. Lend me a cudgel, some one,
and he looked around as If seeking for
the weapon he asked for. Villon
snatched up a mug M flung the heel
taps in the soldiers face, spotting his
cheeks with drops OF crimson that
trickled on to his breast plate. With a
choking cry Of rage Thibaut dragged
his sword into the air.
You fool" III Missed, I'll kill you!"
I'VE shall see," Villon answered gal
lantly, as he stood on guard alert and
wary.
For a momen the he-rascals and She
rascals held their breath. The great fg-
ure in the shining steel seemed so to
dominate the slight frame OF their IA
vorite that anything like an equal con-
test between the two men seemed little
less than ridiculous. What skill Of Viii
Ions could hope to avail against the
mighty sweep OF that huge soldiers
weapon? Suddenly the swift spirit of
Huguette solved the problem. Spring
ing forward with the delicate agility OF
a young panther, she poised, opiniona-
tive, between the opponents.
Fair play!" she screamed. This is
LS@ "AiA NSAAlNlt NAAA PD M HP~N
she pointed with one hand at Villon
while with the other she struck with
her open palm a ringing blow on the
cuirass Of Villon's antagonist. Let
them fight it out with sword Ian
tern in the dark"
A loud shout of applause greeted the
girls suggestion. That fantastic form
of duello was not unfamiliar to the
free companions of the court Of Mir
- - 4 49, anA q IA
was for the combat, was keen enough to
see how we'll this way might work for
the surety Of his purpose. Skill, inches,
tricks of fence, all things were equal
when men fought as shadows In
shadOwland.
What do you say, GOLIATH" he
laughed, and the grim face Of Thibaut
smiled responsive.
"As you please" he said, serenely
confident in his strength n length of
arm. ut Is all one to me-" Then
suddenly looking round on the leering,
sullen faces about him, q wolfish girdle
OF ferocity, he caught back his agree
ment and held 1t for a moment. ION
this condition" he added. When there
is an end of you, there is an end Of the
quarrel. Your friends here must agree
to that"
ViIlon agreed on the instant. He was
all for Riding the world of Thibaut,
but he wanted to do 1t himself for the
sake of the white girl crouching on the
| stairway.
II PROMISE" he said, "for myself and
| for them and turning to the girl, he
insisted, Promise, Huguette; swear
! it,"
II swear It," Huguette answered.
THAT IS settled" said Villon. Now,
friends, make a ring and dowse the
| gIim."
In another instant, the preparations
for the combat were afoot, Robin Tur-
| gis, angrily protesting against the desc
Grafton Of his orderly hostelry and
shouting wild words about summoning
the watch, was promptly o~verpowered
| by Jehan lie Icup, who forced him on to
a bench and kept him there with a dag
gers point at his throat. The women
huddled, screaming and excited, ON the
stairway a little below the place where
| Katherine crouched, holding her breath
and peeping through the ratings. The
men stood behind tables n on
benches, while Casin Cholet and Colin
de Cayeulx dived into the landlords
| quarters and r~eappeared bearing each
in mis- hand a lighted lantern. While
these preparations were being hurried
toward, Tristan, full of alarm, leaned
| forward and plucked at the kings
mantle.
This must be put a stop to. SIRE" he
whispered; but the king shook his head
with a grim smile of satisfaction.
"On the contrary, gossip" he ans
wered, whichever o fthese rascals kills
the other, does the state q service and
| saves the hangman some labor
Villon crossed the room and came
close to where Thibaut waited sullen,
Il think / shall square our reckoning,
Master Thibaut," he whispered. The
giant started at him. You know me?'
he gasped. "Your varlets thumped me
| yesterday" VillOn answered. II shall
tickle you today. Turn, turn about,
friend Thibaut."
Even as he spoke Guy Tabarie
pulled out the last candle left alight in
the room, which was plunged instantly
into almost total darkness. Even the
faint moonlight that had come through
the window was swiftly yelled by HUI
guette, who drew the crimson curtains
close together. HI dim light from the
fire only seemed to accentuate n in.
tensify the darkness through which the
two lanterns burned, pale planets OF
yellow fire, in the hands of Casin and
Colin. Villon snatched the one and
Thibaut took the other. There was a
moment of intense silence; then the
voice Of Huguette cried out OF the
blackness: Are you ready?'
Both combatants cried, "Yes!" ir the
same breath, Il in the next the bat
tie began.
No stranger fight had ever beer
Tough within those walls before, or ever
perhaps within the walls Of Paris. II
| the dense obscurity the two antaSo'
nists CROPPED for each other, alternately
guided and bafled by the light of the
lanterns, as their holder lifted his light
suddenly In the air or deXterously con.
cealed It under the fold of his mantle
Every now and then the swords would
meet with a clash, there would be {
hurried exchange Of thrust and blow
and then the adversaries would drift
back again to grope ana CLEAN anC
seek each other anew, their lanterns
flashing and disappearing like accentu
| ated glow-worms, and their blades now
| shining in sudden illumination like
streaks of blue lightning across tn
%blackness and now invisible even Il
those who held them in their hands.
Tristan had in vain endeavored t
persuade the king to leave before thu
pr"eliminaries for the fantastic strif,
had been completed. but Louis wal
firm in his determination to remain.
Il would not miss this for the world
man." he had insisted. All his child
| like delight in the adventurous was be
ing stated to the full this evening, ant
there was no happier nan at that mo
ment in the kindgdom han the mar
who by TRANCE fortune was it's king
The fight persisted for some minutes
that seemed like hours to more thar
one of the anxious spectators. Now tn,
room would be stepped in the deepes
silence, and now, as the revealed Ian
tern glowed and the naked weapon
met, some woman's scream or SOM
mans suppressed oath would fill tn
place with a sense of watching, cage
humanity.
Suddenly, when the tension o
watcher and watched was keenest
there came a mighty crashing at tn
door and a voice shouted loudly a sum
mons to open in the kings name.
Trietnn knnm well enough what tn