The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-08-28
"Geoffrey Heathcote, Esq"
--------------------- -
By JOHN FNNiMORE Copyright by Cos
BY JOHN FLNNIMORE.
Is that Nant-y-Bryn?" 1 asked.

travelling this countryside, VINO DO not
know Nant-y-Bryn?"
"A stranger" I replied, from afar."
From what part Of England?" he
demanded abruptly
"H'rom Worcestershire" said I, by no
means relishing the tone he adopted
toward me.
Worcestershire" he repeated, with
an Increase of bitterness in his tone.
And what may be your business at
Nant-y-Bryn, my good fellow from
Worcestershire?"
at getting at strangers business" I
replied. "a little more civility would
not come amiss."
And who art thou, to teach me how
should speak to an English lout?" he
cried holly. "Dost wish to taste my
Wh1p? and he threatened me with his
riding cane.
about nothing. 1 nave given you no
offense, and to call names and talk of
whips is hardly the thing between gem
tlemen."
Gentlemen, Graycoat," sneered my
companion. Pray, what dost thou
mean? Did any one ever see gentle
man In such churl's dress?"
Easy, said I, you have for one. 1
know not who you may be, and care
not, but under this gray coat runs as
good blood as your own, and 1 advise
you to drop this hectoring tone.'
MY companion refined in his horse
and extended his hand toward me.
rs it possible" said he in a quiet,
bitter voice, that have the luck to
drop across man from Worcester
shire who has a gentleman's right to
wear a sword?"
Certainly" I replied, "and one per-
fectly willing to use it upon cause
shown"
"Fnogh said" he answered, and dis
mounted. He turned to me and raised
his hand. Before heaven" he de-.
clared, 1T is ample reason for me that
you are English and of your county.
I want no other inducement to spill
your best hearts blood"
Now, though his words were very
foolish and vaporing, yet it was plain
that he was deadly in earnest, and 1
came down, and led Whitesock to an
ash sapling behind thick patch Of
brushwood
This is cheerful country for trav-
eler," thought 1. IF I am to fight for
my life every day because I am En-
glish l wonder of how many swords I
shall run the gauntlet?"
why are you hiding your horse
away like that?" he asked as I re-
turned.
Content you," replied. 1T Is for
your benefit. If she should see us at
close quarters. nothing would prevent
her running In and trampling you UNI
der foot"
Why that is like dog" he cried
She has the sense Of one, and more"
returned, stripping off my coat. But
my companion fingered for a moment.
He had passed, at a flash, as is the
custom of these people, to another set
OF feelings upon my speech.
Il fear I have made mistake" he
said.
you have" said I, "a great mistake,
to treat me as you did. But you have
gone too far with it to turn back
Who wishes to do SOP" he screamed
rather than spoke in reply, and his
former bitterness, returned with ten
fold heat. We took ground upon a tri-
angular patch OF turf where two roads
forked apart, and he led the attack
with much skill and fire.
But after a minute of the swift in
terchange OF thrust and parry, I felt but
little uneasiness. He was not to be
compared for an instant with his coun-
stryman Of yesterday; and, furthermore,
lacked experience in the point where
1t is most needed, in the use Of it in
deadly combat.
It Is one thing to play with the but
toned foil. where a hit or a miss Is a
matter for laughter or trifing wager,
quite another to know that terrible
penalty will be given or exacted for a
false stroke, q slip, miscalculation.
I knew this by observation Of the
dreadful pitch to which his nerves We're
strung, his mouth was round hole
through which his breath came In
whstling gasps, his face was streakedl
with red and white, and his eyes
burned like fires In his head.
have seen fellow fighting in sheer
but there was no fear about my oppo-
nent. It was the vivid imagination in
which these people abound, painting
before his mind that which deadly
combat means to the last stroke and
farthest reach, Of the picture. ia
* We English are lacking In this, per-
haps. but. as by the same lack, we
point, with nothing to distract us, in
the end we are the gamers. At the end
of three minutes there had been much
clashing of swords, thrusting and
parrying. but neither of us had received.
a scratch. AS to my share Of the en-
counter, it had been confined strictly
to the defensive. was now certain he
could not, except by an accident, pass
my guard, and changed my play
carefully, aiming to disarn him. MI
But had to be very wary, for he
was agile as a panther, and, his blood
boiling savagely within him, would
have spitted me with the best win in
the world. IA I was pressing upon him
steadily. when our combat was inter-
rupted In a fashion oddly the counter
part of my encounter of the previous
day. "A sudden weight was flung upon
my sword arm, and felt myself
sgripped from behind. Catching me all
.unawares at the moment when I was
balancing myself to reach forward, /
slipped and fell to one knee. MY oppo-
nent bounded forward, too furious to
SEQ more than the chance that was Of
Tered him. when a female figure leaped
between us. crying, No, no, Owain! 1t
is he. Do not strike"
Owain checked himself. dropped the
point OF his sword, and stood motion
Tess. I rose and bowed TO my young
lady OF the road.
CHAPTER VII.
sss NlANT-Y-BRYN.
II did not recognize you.n she said
breathlessly. II saw nothing but Owain
for the moment. He looked dreadful.
He Is my brother. IS a
..Blue and silver said Owain. 4 a.
bright bay mare with one white stock
rseort