Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-03-09
ITS you, Is IT."

-zasA 90
IT'S you, Is tt7''
tinction. Father Beret had seen him
fence with Farnsworth In remarkable
form, touching him at will, and in min
1stering to the men in the fort he had
heard them talk of the governors in
comparable skill
"A priest is, In perhaps all cases but
the last out Of thousand. a man of
peace, not to be forced into a fight,
but the exceptional one out of the ten
hundred 1t is well not to stir up If you
are looking for an easy victim. Ham
tlton was In the habit Of considering
every antagonist Immediately conquer
able. His domineering spirit could not
when opposed, reckon with any posi-
bility of disaster. As he sprang toward
Father Beret there was a mutual rec
ignition and-we speak guardedly-
something that sounded exactly like an
exchange of furious excavations As
for Father Beret's words, they may
have been mere priestly formula Of
objurgation.
The moon was accommoda ting. With
q beautiful white splendor it entered
a space Of cloudless sky. where it seem:
ed to slip along the dusky blue surface
among the stars, far over In the west.
:" "It's you, is it," Hamilton exclaimed
between teeth that almost crushed one
another. You providing IMPORTER
Father Beret said something. twas
not complimentary, and it sounded sui
phurous, II not profane. Remember.
however, that priest can scarcely
hope to be better than Peter and
Peter did actually make the simon
pure remark when hard pressed. At
all events. Father Beret said something
with vigorous emphasis, and met Ham
ilton half way.
Both men, stimulated to the finger
tips by draft Of imperious passion,
fairly plunged to the inevitable con-
dict. All, II Alice could have seen her
beautiful weapons cross. il she could
have heard the fine, farreaching clink,
clink, clink. while sparks leaped forth
dazzling even in the moonlight; If she
could have noted the admirable-nay,
the amazing-play as the men, regain
ing GOODNESS to some extent, gathered
their forces and fell cautiously to the
deadly work, 1t would have been
enough to change the cold simmer Of
her face to a fash of warm delight
For she would have understood every
feint, lunge, parry, and seen at glance
how Father Beret set the pace and led
the race at the beginning. She would
have understood, for Father Beret had
taught her all she knew about the art
Of fencing.
Hamilton quickly felt, and with a
sense Of its strangeness, the priests
mastery command Of his weapon. The
surprise called up all his caution and
cleverness. Before be could adjust
himself to such an unexpected con-
dition he came near being spitted out
right by pretty pass under his guard.
The narrow escape, while it put him on
his best mettle. sent a wave Of super
| stition through his brain. He recalled
what Barlow had joeularly said about
the doings OF the devil-priest or priest
devil at Roussillon place on that night
when the patrol guard attempted to
take Gaspard Roussillon. Was this
indeed Father Beret, that gentle old
man, now before him, or was It an
avenging demon from the shades?.
The thought fitted electrically across
his mind, while he deftly parted,
feinted, lunged, giving his dark antag-
0nist all he could do to meet the play.
Priest or devil, he thought-he cared
not which--he would reach his vitals
presently. Yet there fingered with him
4 haunting half fear or tenuous awe.
htnderea, his excellent .swordsman.
ship.
Underfoot It: was slushy with mud,
water and ice, the consistency varying
from somewhat solid crust to pud.
dies that half inundated Hamilton's
boots and quite overflowed Father
Berets moccasins--an execrable field
for the little matter in hand. they
gradually shifted position. Now + It
was the governor, then the priest, who
had advantage a. to the light. For
some time Father Beret seemed quite
the shiftter and aurer fighter. but twas
his age telling o.: hin? . he lost per.
eeptibly in suppleness. still Hamtl-
ton failed to touch him. There was a
banning something in the old mans
escape now and again from what ought
to have been an inevitable stroke.
Was it luck? It seemed to Hamilton
more than that-a sort of uncanny eva
blon. Or was II supreme mastery, the
laSt and subtiest reach Of the fspeer's
emit 5F}tt% j. ass::s%s @1s.z$ = f;$$3s. 9