The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-24
By ALFRED HENRY LEElS
Copyrighted, 1908, by
A. j. DreXel Biddle.
Entered Mt stationer's
Hall, London.
PEGGY O'NEAL

1 ard un, young master, an uodHt
know as 'ow 1 can do vor you. an
me not trained. 'Owever, shall try all
knows. Time"
For the second occasion the two
stood forth against one another in the
| middle of the moonlighted glade; and
| again the fighting man was the ag-
! gressor. II would be still the same old
tale; Rivera fOiled him and beat him
4 back upon himself at every angle OF
his effort. 1t was like tune to SIM
| ply see Rivera; for his eye and hand
! and foot worked all together in fash
| ion of harmony like the notes in music.
| But the dour end was on its way,
and it fell upon the victim like the
| bursting of bomb. The fighting man
had stepped a pace backward follow
! ing rally in which he won nothing
/ save chagrin. AS he retreated, Rivera
would seem to swoop on him. 1t was
/ feint-an artihce; it had for result,
1 however, the drawing of the fighting
man again upon Rivera. Straight from
his shoulder, and by way of retort or
/ counter to the feint, the fighting man
sent his left hand for Rivera's face.
/ Ii would be the situation wrought for.
Rivera, with feet firm set, moved his
head aside so that the blow met moth
ing, but whistled across his left Shout
der. Then his left hand, arm as stiff
as bar of iron, met the oncoming
foe, carried forward with the mOmen-
tum of his own wasted blow, flush in
the mouth. I heard the sound of it,
and saw II jolt the others head back
as though he had run against the pole
of baggage wagon. The vicious en-
phass of it shook his senses in their
source; before he could rally, Rivera
dealt him a smashing blow above the
heart with his right hand; it was a
buffet like the kick of pony and one
that would have splintered a rock!
The fighting man fell forward sense
less on the grass; the moonlight play
ed across his face and tiny streams
of blood were running thinly from his
nose and ears. He lay without mo-
ton or culver, and, after considering
him bit with all the warmth an art
list might bestow upon a masterpiece,
Rivera turned loungingly to Peg and
myself where we were viewing pro-
ceedings from our knoll. There was
q dancing light in Rivera's eyes such
as comes to a child pleased of a new
toy. AS he stood before us, a smile
about his mouth, he stretched upward
on his toes and raised his hands above
his head, his vast chest arching and
swelling the while like a drum, and
the muscles of his neck writhing until
they fairly burst the collar of his gray
shirt and sent a button buzzing into
the darkness.
He wasn't fit" said Eivera, recov-
ering himself from the muscle stretch
ing, and beaming amiably; the fell
low was not in condition" Here he
indicated with a nod the PROSTATE
man, still stunned and bleeding where
he fell.
Have you killed him." said Peg,
with a deep breath. The girl was drawn
| as tense as harpstrings. Il hope he
will not die"
"Oh, no., declared Rivera; 'he will
not die. In two minutes, or at the
most in ten. he will be we'll again. If
he do not come to his wits in ten min
utes, l shall help him with water on
his face"
we have to thank you" said 1;
you are brave fellow to match your
self against IA horde
Il was told always to follow them"
said Rivera Il have been at their
heels for weeks. But they would do
nothing until tonight" Rivera's man.
ner when he related the long-drawn
! Incidence of his quarry and those
weeks wherein they would do moth
ing" tasted of disappointment. How
ever"-this as though a wrong had been
repaired-"they got to work at last, so
after all it ends right"
Now | walked across to my moaning
| one of the broken arm, who still sat
nursing his injuries.
why would you rob us?" asked.
Rob you?" he repeated between
means, and with a startled air. mo
one wanted to rob you"
You and your gang" said for
this was the story l meant to tell, If
made to tell one of the nights tur-
| moil-'you and your gang are foot
pads. You would have robbed us.
| Should you be in the town tomorrow,
| | will find you a place of bars and
bolts
Certainly, these brawling creatures
were not highwaymen, but only ruff
/ ans whom that Catron had hired for
know not what particularly purpose
/ Of revenge. But the wretch's exclama-
! tinn. Here is our big lover and his
I light o love-" alarmed me for Peg.
| / would not have that tale told to
| thus bring forth her name. 1t were
! better to drive these fellows off and
! have an end of it. That was my
| thought i'm calling them footpads and
talking of attempts to take a purse.
The argument of robbery put a meas
ure of life into the moaning one; he
/ got upon his feet and made ready to
betake himself to scenes of better
| safety.
My arm is broken" said he, whin-
ingly. and as hoping l might feel a
! sympathy.
1t should have been your neck, in
stead" said l, in no wise sympathetic.
! And so il would had l owned the
forethought to have had you by the
| throat rather than your arm. You
might better depart, sirrah: else may
yet wiring round your head, for my
spirit is hard laid siege to by some
such twisting impulse"
That was enough our moaning one
made shift to get himself away through
the trees and with not a trifie of ex-
| petition.
And now, what will you dor" I
asked Rivera.
"Oh, 1 shall remain here" replied
| Rivera, simply, land wait for him to
return to his wits" Here he point
ed to his enemy. He is a very bold.
strong man, and perhaps when he has
| recovered and rested he may want to
fight again." The last sentence was
vibrant of dim hope.
Turning from me, Rivera brought a
| little snow water in his hat from a
hollow where it had collected during
| the thaws and began to sprinkle the
face of his fighting friend from White
| chapel. Leaving him upon these labors
of grace and philanthropy-albeit be-
| lieVe the thought uppermost in his
! innocent heart was that the smitten
one, when duly revived. might declare
for another battle-I again sought Peg.
/ went to her something stricken OF
my conscience and uneasy with the
fear of having neglected my duties as
her cavalier. I found her sitting upon
the little knoll, her foot drawn under
| her and she nursing her RIGHT ank1a