The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-10-22

lie was in light shoes and "a heavy
iding
I stopped and bent over owain.l The
word had been driver In under the
rrnpit and had reached the heart. He
a quite dead. his eyes = ana
siazing. I closed them AID stood up.
nd drew on my boots.
who is this ~ cried the duellist, who
lad now picked up his weapon.
ssThesslan who killed Owain," cried
he red-hairel murderer. q you take
me ?,5S
we do,,' answered the other two.
I tool hts meaning also, n l0olet
around upon Owain'H second. IT Was
clear be considered 1t the best way out
81 the difficulty. for hfs sword wal In
MS hand and he waa watching b
movements Of his companions. ready
to close upon ne with them.
Instincttyely they had spoken IN Eng
lish. which Is used as a private LAM
guage among the Welsh gentry and SO
let me into their plot. They would taise
advantage of my appearance to say
rs murderer, ughteously
executed by them.
lay mind dwelf-upon
the thoughts of this story recited Ia
Ends presence, and backed up by the
bodies of her lover and brother. then +
looked ABOUT upon them In the grim
NEST, deaIiest earness / ever felt In my
life. I whipped OFF my coat, and cast
my sword-beit loose. I fcsdled Tor an
instant the hiIt OF my trusfy a
working my fingers round n round 1t
In a tight and vet tighter grip. then
squared my shoulders and faced to my
work.
/ spoke nc word to them. Names,
We're they never SC truthful. were not
to the purpose for the moment. Men.
who could act as they were acting
would be little moved at hearing their
deeds rightly described. I hoped to
balance accounts with other coin.
No one had yet moved q step In my
direction. / was ringed about on three
sides and it seemed as If the task was
something too Gross wen for them to
put in hand instantly. / glanced round,
meeting each Y in turn and e COM
ffdence In each cruel nj curious glance
that measured me.
The certainty they felt about knock
ing me on the head was a point ia my
favor, and I decided not to wait a com
bined attack, when I must play three
points at once, O thing impossible on an
open field.
Turning short. I flew at the murderer.
to whom I was yet the nearest and
against whom my wrath burned hot
test. / was him with a sudden
swiftness which surprised myself. My
feet seemed winged; I felt not the earth
under. me: my name was vengeance.
His small. foxy eyes burned like coal
as I leaped upon him. but he stood his
ground, n prepared to receive me
upon his swordpoint.
Six feet from him I drove my hee
n the turf md checked myself dead.
He made his stroke. I beat 1t swiftly
aside and repaid it with a famous botte
l. HsECno orJ1n u,h{<Sh Shod pn1,o,, q, M "a 49,
but once. and then with Ieuan. This
fellow, however, was nj wild John, and
I passed mis- guard without a check. Yet
/ failed to run him through as I had in
tended, for he was as ninble as a Wild
cat and lodged the fatal blow, taking
his point In his shoulder, and that but
slightly.
I had no time to mend the thrust. for
upon the instant the other two ran in,
and / was compelled to spring back.
Luckily. I had a greater reach than any
of my opponents. and L kept them for
awhile at a distance by long, sweeping
blows.
The duelist ran round behind me.
shortening his weapon to drive it in be-
tween my shoulders. 1 Wheeled and
slashed at him with the full swing of
my arm. He raised his sword to ward
the blow, and the blades clashed to-
gether, striking out red sparks.
But there was not the strength in
his wrist to check my age. and though
/ failed to cleave his skull, yet i laid
open his forehead, so that the blood
poured into his Eyes and blinded him.
He flung himself to the earth in terror.
expecting to feel my sword through
him within the next moment, but his
brother was too close at my back for
that, and l turned just in time to ward
a furious thrust. My first fury had
passed by now, and I dealt no more
whirling blows at large upon my foes.
Instead, I pulled myself together. drew
to my hand, as it were, every trick Of
fence of which / was master. and felt
assured as a man could feel that with
In the next few minutes / should
nVenge my friend with my own hand.
But it was not to be. Yet the ven
Eeance lay close enough. Twice or
thrice one of them ran to get behind
me, to have me between two points.
But I was too quick for them. and
changed my ground time and apair