The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-03-08

my blood boil afresh: and in the heat Of ie
I let my secret slip. or rather some small
part Of It.
Sir Francis had ever a sure hand with
the women" said: and then I could have
bitten my masterless tongue.
"6oT queried Jennifer Then this is not
your first knowing OF him?
NO" Sc much said and no more
We rode on in silence for little space.
and then my youthling must needs break
out again in fresh beseechings.
Tell me what you know of him. and
what 1t was he said OF Madge.' he en-
treated. You can't deny me now. Jack"
II can and shall. 1t matters not TO you
or to any what he is or has been"
WHY"
Because. as God gives me strength and
skill. shall presently run him through and
so his account will be squared once for all
with all men-and all women. as WELL
God speed you" quoth my loyal ally. '1
knew not your quarrel with him was SO
bitter"
at is to the death"
so 1t seems. In that case. II by any
accident he"
OWNED what no would say and broke in
upon him.
NAY, Dick: II he thrusts me out. you
must not take up my quarrel 1 know not
where you learned to twirl the steel. or
now, Uut you may Dt SURF ne WOuiQ spit
you like a trussed fowl in the first bout. I
have seen him kill a man who was reckoned
the best short sword In my old regiment 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-''
I smiled at his fuming ardor. and CLAN
cling at the pair Of pistols hanging from his
saddle-bow, asked IL he could shoot
Indifferent WE'LL
Then make him challenge you and
choose your own weapons. 'Tis
your only hope and poor enough
at that, fear. have heard he can clip
guinea at ten PAGES"
From that We fell silent again. being but
a little way from the rendezvous, and SO
continued until. at sudden turn In the
road, we came in sight Of rude barricade
Of felled trees barring the way. Jennifer
saw it first and pulled up short, loosing his
pistols In their cases as he drew rein 80
Ware the woodP' he said sharply, and
none too soon, for even as he spoke the
glade at our left filed as by magic with a
motley troop deploying into the road as to
surround US.
Now. who are theser I asked; friends
or foesr' -
Foes who will hang you In your own
halter strap; Jan Howart's Tories-the Same
that burned the Westootts in their cabin a
fortnight since. VIII your horse take that
barrtcade. think your $50
"Aye-standing, II need be-" -
Then At them. in Gods name. Chargev'
It needed but the word and we were in
the thick Of it remembered my old field
marshals maxim, Won Feinden umringht.
list die Zeit zu zerschmettern; and truly, be-
ing 30 plentifully outnumbered, we did
strike both first and hard
Lima Of ragged horsernen str1rnv itself
awkwardly across the road to guard the
dimSy barricade, and at this we charged.
sttrrup to stirrup. In the dash there was
scattering volley from the wood, answered
instantly by the bellowtngs of Jennifer's
great pistols; and then we came to the
steel
1t was my first neshing of tho good old
Andrea, and a better balanced blade had
never swung In hand-to-hand mellay. As
we closed with the half dozen defenders OF
the barrier, Jennifer refined aside to give mo
room to play to right and left. and in ths
midst Of 1t went nigh to death because he
held his hand to watch cut and double
thrust Of mine.
"Over with your: shouted, pricking tho
man who would have moved him down with
great scythe handled as a sword.
Our horses took the barrier in flying
leap straining themselves for the race b.
yond. When We had pulled them down to
a foot pace We were safely out of rifle shot
and there was space to count the cost.
Copyright. 1903, by Bowen-Merr1n Co.
There was no cost worth counting II
saddlehorn bullet shattered for me, and tn
back Of Jennifers sword hand scored ltghS
ly across by another Of the random missileSt,
summed up our woundings. Dick whipped
out his kerchief to twist about the scored
hand. while I glanced back to see If any
Tory cared to follow.
Lord, Jack! owe you one to keep and
one to pay back" quoth my youngster.
warmly. Il never saw a swordsman tin
this day.
Mere tricks. Dick. my lad: I have had
nfteen years in which to learn them. And
these were but country yokels armed with
farming tools. The two with swords had
little wit to use them"
"Oh. GOMEZ said he. ct know a
pretty bit Of swordpiay when I see
it II we come whole out Of
teach me some Of these mere tricks of
yours
l promised. glancing back toward the
dust-veiled barrier in the distance.
Dick, you passed this way an hour ago;
was that breastwork in the road then?' r.
mot stick Of it,
Then We may-Aare say our volunteer
Captain fights unwillingly''
How so?" he demanded. being much too
himself to suspect duplicity
In otherA
It's plain enough. This was a trap meant
to stop or delay US. and I'll wager high 1t
was the baronet who set and baited it. Il
would please him well to be able to say
what our failure to come would give him
warrant for. Let US gallop a bit. lest we be
late and 30 play into his hand"
Jennifer smiled grimly and gave his horsa
the rein. II think you'd charge the fall Of
man 10 him II that would give you better
leave to kill him. I'd hate to own you for
my enemy, John Heton."
For all our swift speeding we were vet a
little late at the rendezvous under the tall
oaks When we came on the ground the
oaronet was walking up and down arm in
arm with his second. a broad-shouIdered
Young Briton. fair OF skin and ruddy OF
face.
If Falconnet had set the Tory trap for,
IS he yelled his disappointment at its fall
ire. His face, dark and inscrutable as IL,
lways was, was made more sinister by
he plasters knitting up his broken cheek.
tut was right glad to make sure that my
'low had spared his eyes. Richly as he de-
erved his fate. l thought 1t would be Ill to
hink on afterward that had had him at
disadvantage of my own making.
There was little time wasted in the pre-
Iminaries. When Falconnet saw us he
ropped his seconds arm and began to
make ready. I gave my sword to Jennifer
nd the seconds went apart together, There
vas some measuring and balancing Of
reapons. and then Richard came back,
1.-THE Baronet's sword Is a good inch
onger than yours In the blade, and Is son,e-
that heavier. Tybee has brought a pair of