The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-21
"Geoffrey Heathcote, ESQ
= 'o"N "'aoA Copyright. 1899, by s. s. Mcclure Co..
BY JOHN FINNIMoRE.
us that Nant-y-Bryn?" 1 asked.

travelling this countryside, who do not
know Nant-y-Bryn?"
"a stranger" I replied, from afar."
from what part Of England?" he
demanded abruptly. a6
From 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
N~ant-y-Bryn, my good fellow from
WORCESTERSHIRE"
You take a strange way OF your own
at getting at a strangers business" I
replied. "a little more civility would
not come amiSs."
And who art thou, to teach me how
I should speak to an English lout?" he
cried holly. "Dost wish to taste my
whip?" and he threatened me with his
riding cane.
why" said 1, this is a storm all
about nothing. I have given you no
offense, and to call names and talk Of
whips is hardly the thing between gen.
tlemen.''
Gentlemen, Graycoat," sneered my
companion. Pray, what dost thou
mean? Did any n ever see a gentle
man in such a churl's dress"
Easy, said I, you have for one. /
know not who you may be, and care
not, but under this gray coat runs as
good blood as syour own, and I advise
you to drop this hectoring tone"
My companion refined in his horse
and extended his hand toward me.
us it possible" said he in a quiet.
bitter voice, that I nave the luck to
drop across a 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"
'EnogE .a1d," he answered, and dis
mounted. He turned to me and raised
his hand. Before heaven" he de-
clared, "ft Is ample reason for me that
you are English and Of your county.
1 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 I
came down, and led Whitesock to an
ash sapling behind a thick patch of
brushwood.
This is a cheerful country for atrav-
eler," thought I. IF I am to fight for
glish, I 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" I replied, ut is for
your DeneIlI. II she should see us at
close quarters, nothing would prevent
her running in and trampling you un-
der foot"
Why, that is like a dog he cried.
She has the sense Of one, and more"
I 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 1 have made a mistaken 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 so?" 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. n he led the attack
with much skill and fire.
But after q 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-
tryman of yesterday; and, furthermore,
though well trained to his weapon, he
lacked experience in the point wher
1t Is most needed, in the use of it in
deadly combat.
1t is one thing to play with the but
toned foil, where a hit or a miss Is q
matter for laughter or trilng wage
quite another to know that a terrible
penalty will be given or exacted for q
false stroke. a slip, m~iscalculation.
/ knew this by observation Of the
Dreadful pitch to which his nerves were
strung, his mouth was a round hole
through which his breath came in
whistling gasps, his face was streaked
with red and white, and his eyes
burned like fires in his head.
l have seen a fellow fighting in sheer
fright for his life look much the same,
but there vas no fear about my oppo-
nent; It was the vivid imagination in
which these people abound, painting
before his mind h a which a deadly
combat means to the last stroke and
farthest reach of the picture.
We English are lacking in this, per-
maps, but, as by h same lack, we
keep cool n watch the other mans
point, with nothing to distract US, in
the n we are the gamers. At the end
of three minutes there had been much
clashing of swords, ~thrusting and
parrying, but neither of us hadreceived
q scratch. AS to my. share of the en-
counter, it had been confined strictly
TO the defensive. I was now certain he
my guard, and I changed my play
carefully, aiming to disarm him.
But | had to be very wary, for he
was agile as a panther, and, his blood
polling savagely within him, would
have spitted me with the best will in
the world. 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 I felt myself
gr1pped from behind. Catching me all
unawares at the moment when I vas
balancing myself to reach forward, I
S1lDDe and fell TO one knee In NV nnnn-
nent bounded forward, too furious to
see more than the chance that was Of
Tered him, when a female figure leaped
between us, crying, mo, no., Owain! 1t
is he. Do not strike"
OWain checked himself, dropped the
point of his sword, and stood motion
less. l rose n bowed to my young
lady of the road.
CHAPTER VII.
NANT-Y-BRYN. a