The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-07

on the lodge wall So much we saw as we
broke cover and ran in upon the lespoier.
Then the battle-maGrcss came upon us and
J. for one. saw naught but the tense dra wn
face of a swordsman fighting for his life
a face in which the hot flush of evil passion
had given place to the ashen grazing of
fear.
We drove at him together. Dick and /.
and so must needs fall afoui OF each other
clumsily. giving him time to spring back
and so miss the claymore stroke. which else
would have shorn him to the middle Then
ensued az pretty a bit of bIalework as any
master OF The Old cut-and-thrust school
could wish to see; and through it all this
! Kings Captain of Horse seemed to bear a
charmed life.
There was no punctilio of the code of
! homer In this duel a outrance. Knowing
I cur time was short. we fought men who
| fight with halterS round their neclss:, not to
decide nice point at issue. but to kill this
accurSed villain would kill a mad dog
! or vcnomous reptile, whose living on i'm
perilsd the life and honor of the woman we
| loved.
Thrice. whilst l held him in play. Dick
rushed in to end il with a southeastern Of
the hroadswurd: and thrice the Scottish
death was turned aside by the flashing cir
Gle of steel wherewlth the man striving
/ shrewdly to gain time made shift to shield
himself.
Yet it was not in flesh and blood to fend
the double onslaught for more than some
brief minute two. Play as he would
and no schlaegermeister of my old field mar
shats picked troop could best him at this
game of parry and defense-he must give
ground step by step: slowly at the pressing
of the Ferara. and In quick backward leaps
when the great broadsword bit at him
For the first few bouts he withstood u.
In grim silence. But now Richard cut in
Ia t,pr-N .sti
fully turned aside, brought him to his knees
This broke his bull courage somewhat. and
| though he was afoot and on guard before
! my point could reach him. he began to he'll
low Justify for help.
As yeu would suppose the call wa oil
rnneeGed. At the first clash OF steel the
| outlying troopers were up and swarrninr
! to the rescue: and now on all sides came
| the trampling rush OF the incoming cor-
| don line.
Had Falconret held his ground a moment
| longer he would have had us fast in the
Jaws OF the trooper-trap; but It's the fatal
| faw In mere brute courage that it win
break at the pinch No sooner did the vol
unieer captain catch a glimpse of his up
| coming achievements than he must needs
show us clean pair of heels. running Ike
a craven coward and shouting madly to his
men TO close with us and cut us down.
After himf' roared Dick. who was by
now as Tage-mad as any berserker. and
with a cut and thrust to right and eft
for the nipping trap-jaws we were out and
away in chase
Now you NAV mark this as you will: that
whilst the devil hath need of his bond.se--
want he will come between with a miracle
II need be 10 Keep the villain breath of life
In his vassal. Three bounds beyond .be
closing trap-jaws fetched us, pursued and
pursuers. to the open camp field; and here
the devils miracle vas wrought. Out of
the forest fringe, out of the skirting Of
underground. out of the very earth, as it
seemed. uprose yelling mob of CharoKces
the detachment We had met in the cavern
returned in the very nick of time to cut us
off from the pursuit and TO ring us in a
whooping circle OF death
Back TO back. lad" l shouted; and twas
: thus We met their onslaught
IN such a fray as tina: which followed IL,