The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-23

and fourished his sword.
II am Francois Villon, and my sword
is as good an another MANS"
The momen the name fell on Thi-
baut's ears the giant gave a 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 and 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" he Kissed, "I'll kill you'll"
1--WE shall see," Villon answered gal
lantly, as he stood on guard alert and
wary.
For a the he-rascals and She
rascals held their breath. The great fig
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 han ridiculous. What skill Of Viii
Ions could hope to v 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.
Fail play!" she screamed. This is
David and Goliath and as she spoke
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 and Ian
tern in the dark"
A loud shout of applause greeted the
girls suggestion. That fantastic form
0f 111a1ln uYa q mt info milan tn tha
free companions of the court of Mir
acles, n Villon himself, eager as he
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 and length of
arm. 1T is all one to me-" Then
suddenly looking round on the leering,
sullen faces about him, a wolfish girdle
of ferocity, he caught back his agree
ment and held it for a moment. "On
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"
Villon agreed on the instant. He was
all for Kidding the world Of Thibaut
but he wanted to do it himself for the
sake of the white girl crouching on the
stairway.
II PROMISE" he said, "for myself anG
for Them" and turning to the girl, he
insisted, promise, Huguette; sweal
lit"
st swear it," Huguette answered.
"That is settled said Villon. Now
~ friends make a ring and 6OWSa the
gIim."
In another instant, the preparation!
for the combat were afoot, Robin Tur'
gis, angrily protesting against the desc
Grafton Of his orderly hostelry ant
shouting wild words about summonins
the watch, was promptly overpoweree
by Jehan lie Loup, who forced him on t.
a bench and kept him there with a dag
gers point at his throat. The Womel
huddled, screaming and excited, on thu
stairway a little below the place wher
Katherine crouched, holding her breatl
and peeping through the ratings: TIL
men stood behind tables and OF
benches, while Casin Cholet and Coli
de Cayeulx dived into the landlord
quarters and r~eappeared bearing eacl
in mis- hand a lighted lantern. Will
these preparations We're being hurriet
toward, Tristan, full Of alarm, leane,
forward and plucked at the king,
mantle.
This must be put a stop to, sire" h
whispered; but the king shook his hea'
with a grim smile of satisfaction.
ION the contrary, gossip" he ans
wered, whichever 0 fthese rascals kill
the other, does the state a service an
saves the hangman some labor"
Villon crossed the room and cam
close to where Thibaut waited suller
II think I shall squar our reckoning
Master Thibaut," he whispered. TIL
giant started at him. You know me?
he gasped. Your varlets thumped m
yesterday" Villon answered. Il sha.
tickle you today. Turn, urn abou'
friend Thibaut."
Even as he spoke Guy Tabari
puffed out the last candle left alight i
the room, which was plunged Instant
into almost total darkness. Even tn
faint moonlight that had come throug
the window was swiftly yelled by Hu
'guette, who drew the crimson curtain
close together. The dim light from tn
fire only seemed to accentuate n ir
tensify the darkness through which tn
two lanterns burned, pale planets {
yellow fire, in the and Of Casin ar
Colin. Villon snatched the one an
Thibaut took The other. There was
moment of intense silence; hen til
voice of Huguette cried out of tt
blackness: Are you ready?"
Both combatants cried, .Yes!" in IL
same breath, and in the next h ba,
tie began.
No stranger fight had ever bee
tough within those walls before, or eve
perhaps within the walls of Paris. ]
the dense o~bscurity the two antagt
nists CROPPED for each other, alternate
guided and baffled by the light of I'll
lanterns, as their holder lifted his ligl
suddenly in the air or dexterously CO,
cealed it under the. fold of his mantl
Every now and then hi swords won,
meet with a clash, there would be
hurried exchange of thrust and bio,
and then the adversaries would dri
back again to grope and CLEAN ar
seek each other anew, their Lantern
flashing and disappearing like accent,
ated glow-worms, and their blades no
shining in sudden illumination lii
streaks of blue lightning across ii
blackness and now invisible even
those who held them in their hands.
Tristan had in vain underworld
persuade the king to leave before Il
preliminaries for the fantastic stri
had been completed. but Louis w;
firm in his discrimination to remain.
II would not miss this for the worI
man. he had insisted. All his chill
Et@ f;1,a8dotioh an the a6yanfJ1ro,ys ~ q u,