Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1905-04-21

man who was rerkoned the best shor
sword IN my old regiment OF IN
Blues
Content yourself" said ms youni
he shall answer 20 me for that thinI
ne said of Madge Stair. this thougl
/ know not WHAT t was he said"
/ smiled at his tuning ardor, am
glancing at the pair Of pistols hanging
from his saddle bow, asked il he coui'
shoot.
indifferent we'll
Then make him challenge you ant
choose your own weapon. 'Tis you
only hope, and poor enough at that,
fear. have heard ne ean clip a guinea
at ten PAGES"
From that We fen silent again. be,
ing but "A little way from the rendez'
vous, and so continued until, at q sud
den turn i'm the road, we came in sigh
OF q rude barricade OF felled trees bar
ring the way. Jennifer saw II first and
pulled up short, loosing his pistols IL
their cases as he drew rein,
War the wood" he said sharply
and o too soon, for even as he spoke
the glade at our left filed as by magic
with a motley troop d~eploying into the
road as to surround us,
Now. who are these" | asked;
friends or foes2"
Foes who viii hang you In your own
halter strap; Jan Howart's Tories
the same that burned the Westcotts in
their cabin a fortnight since. VIII your
horse take that barricade, think your
@Aye-standing, II need be"
Then at them, In Gods name.
Charget"
It needed but the word and we we're
In the thick OF Ii. | remembered my
Did field marshal's mixim, Won Feinden
umringt, list die Zeit ~ zerschmettern;
and truly, being SO plentifully outnum-
bered, we did strike both first and
hard.
A line OF the ragged horsemen strung
Itself awkwardly across the road to
guard the hlmsy barricade, and at this
we charged, stirrup to stirrup. IN the
lash there was Il scattering volley from
the wood. answered instantly By the
belIowings of Jennifer's great pistols
and hen we came TO steel.
IL was my first heshing OF the good
old Andrea, and a better balanced blade
[ had never swung in hand-to-hand
.melIay. AS we closed with the half
lozen defenders Of the barrier, Jennifer
refined aside to give me TO play
to right and left. and in the midst of IL
went nigh to death because he held
his hand TO watch a cut and double
thrust OF mine.
"Over with youi" l shouted, prieking
the man who would have moved him
down with a great scythe handled as a
sword.
Our horses took the barrier In a n.y.
ing leap, straining themselves for the
race beyond. When va had pulled
them down 10 a foot pace we We're
safely out Of rifle shot and there was
space Co count the cost.
rrtkAra xr,ic gtrHnnuf ,f0tth nctRpffaey
A saddle horn bullet shattered for me.
and the back OF Jennlfer's sword hand
scored lightly across by another of the
random missiles summe up our
woundings. Dick whipped nj his kerr
chief TO twist about the scored hand,
while / glanced back TO see If n
Tory cared to follow.
Lord, Jack! l owe you one To keep
and one TO pay back" quoth my young
ster, warmly. II never saw a swords
man till this day."
Mere tricks. Dick, my lad: / have
had fifteen years In which TO learn
them. And these were but country
yokels armed with farming tools. The
two with swords had little wit to use
Them"
"Oh, comet said he. Il know a pref
ty bit OF sword play when | see Ii. IL.
We come whole out of this adventure
with the baronet o shall teach me
some OF these mere trlcks' of yours"
I promised, CHANGING back toward the
iust-veiled barrier In the distance.
Dick. you passed this way AN hour
ago; was that breastwork In the road
then ~.
Not a stick OF it,
Then we may dare say our volun-
teer captain fights unwiliingly.r
How So" he demanded, being much
TOO straightforward himself TO g aspect
~Auplicity in others.
Ills plain enough. This VAS a
trap, meant 10 stop or delay us, and
Ipll a high II was the baronet who
set and baited II. II would please him
well to be able TO say what our failure
10 come would give him warrant for.
Let us gallop a bit. lest We be late and
so play into his hand.
Jennifer smiled grimly and gave his
horse the rein. Il think you'd charge
the Fall of Man TO him IL that would
give you better leave to kill him, I'd
hate 70 " 9 for my enemy, John
Elreton.'
For all our swift speeding we We're
yet a little late AT the rendezvous un-
der the tall oaks. When we came on
the ground the baronet was walking up
and down arm in arm with his second.
Ia broad-shouldered young Briton. fair
Of skin and rudy OF face.
II Falconnet had set the Tory trap
FOR us ne yelled his disappointment at
its failure. His face. dark and inscrut-
able as i always was. was made more
sinister by the plasters knitting up his
broken cheek, but | was right glad to
make sure that my blow had spared his
eyes. Richly as he deserved his fate.
Il thought Ii would be i'll to think on
afterward that l had had him at d dis
advantage OF my own making.
There was little time wasted IN the
preliminaries. When Falconnet saw
us he dropped his seconds arm and be-
gan TO make ready. ! gave my sword
to Jennifer. and the seconds went apart
together. There was some measuring
and balancing of weapons, and then
Richard came back.
THE baronet's sword Is d good inch
longer han yours In the blade, and Is
somewhat heavier. Tybee has brought
q pair of French short swords which
he offers VIII Q change your
terms2v
NO; / am content @ tight 9th nj,
own weapon
Jennifer nodded. so / told him
And then: There was no & tc
be had La town, pr. Carew having gone
with the minute men to join Mr.. Ru-
therf0fd. Tybee says It's scarce In ac-
cordance with The later ruling 10 fight
without one
sTo the devil with their hairsplit-
tings" said 7. Let US have done With
F~aleonnet was removing his coat
and / stripped mine. The seconds chost
the ground where inc turf was Shorl
and firm, and yet yielding enough Il
give good footing. We faced each 9th
er. my antagonist barring an arm which