Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1905-04-06
THE MASTER OF APPLEbY]
Francis Lynde.
CHAPTER L.
IN WHICH / wHET MY FATHER

BY Francis Lynde.

i IN WHICH / WHET MY FATHERS
SWORD.
| The summer day vas all but spent
/ when Richard Jennifer. riding express.
brought me Captain Fa,connet's chal-
i lenge.
Twas a dayfall to be marked with q
I white stone even in our Carolina call
/ endar. The sun, reaching down to the
mountains girt horizon in the west. filled
all the upper air with the glory of it's
departing, and the higher leaf plumes
| of the great naples before my cabin
door wrought lustrous patterns in gild-
/ ed green upon a zenith background of
/ turquoise shot with crimson, like the
figurings of some rich old tapestries l
| had once seen i'm my field marshals
castle in the Mark of MoraNia.
I Beyond the naples Il brook tinllled
and FLASHED over the stones on its way
to the nearby Catawba; and its peace
/ full brawling. and the evensong of a
pair of clear-throated warblers poised
on the topmoSt tWigS of one of the
trees, should have been sweet music In
/ the ears OF Il returned exile. But on
1 that matchess brides month evening
/ of dainty sunset arabesuues and brook
/ and biEd songs, | was in little humor
for rejoicing
/ The road made for the river lower
\ down and followed its windings up the
i valley; but Jennifer came by the In
4 dian trace through the forest | can
] see him now as he rode beneath the
naples bending to the saddle horn
! where the branches hung lowest a
pretty figure of Il handsome young pro-
vncial. clad i'm fashions three years be-
hind those | had seen in London the
! winter last past. He rode gentleman
wise, in smal clothes of rough gray
u,
hose; but he Wore his cooked hat atilt
like a troopers, and the sword on his
4 thigh WAS Il good service blade and no
mere hiit and scabbard for show such
as our eourtier macaroMis We're just
then beginning to affect.
4 Now had known this handsome
youngster when he was hut a little
lad, had taught him how to bend the
Indian bow and loose the reed shaft
arrow in those happier days before the
/ tyrant Governor frNon turned hang
man. and the battle of the Great AL
manac had left me fathcr!ess. More
over | had drunk Il cup of wine with
him AT the Mccklcnburg Arms no long
er than yeSerweel-thi to Il renewal
of our early Friendships. Hence. must
needs he somewhat taken aback when
\ he drew rein nj my doorstone, dotted
his hat with Il sweeping bow worthy Il
courtier of the great Louis. and said.
after the best manner of Sir Charles
Grandson:
Il have the honor of addressing Cap
tain John lreton, sometimes of his
majestys Royal Scots Blues. and lat,-
of her apostolic majestY's Twenty
ninth re.,imcnt of IIussars?"
IL was but an eupnuism of the time
this formal preamble. declaring that
his crrand had to do with the prelin-
inaries of Il private quarrel betweei
strain Il smile. For these upcroppihgs
OF courtlcr etiquette with the free
stride of our Western backwoods None
the less. you are to suppose that made
shift to match his bow in some fashion.
and TO say: AT your service, sir =
/ WhcrcupGn ne bowed again. claDped
ham to head and rendered me sealed
packet.
From Sir Frances Falconnct, knigt.
Bachelor Of Eemmnris. volunteer cap
tam in his ma ies:y's German LEGION
4 he announced with stern dignity.
Having no second To refer him to. /
bi oke t!,e seal o. Che cartel myself.
Since l,N enemy had seen fit To come
thus far on the way to his end in some
gentlemanly manner, ii was not 70.
me to fiEd difficulties i'm the formalities
In good tr;:th, Was overjoye,i to be
thus assured that he would fight mo
fam; that he would not compel me to
kill him as one kills a wild beast at
bay. For certainly | saould have killed
him in any event. so much had prom
Used my poor Dick Coverdale on that
dismal November morning when he had
choked out his life in my arms the vic
tim first nf this mans treachery, and.
at the last, of his sword. So. as say.
/ Was nothing loath, and yet | would
not seem too eager.
II might say that ] have no unsettled
quarrel with Captain l'alconnet." l de-
INJURED, when had read the challenge.
Gle spoke slightingly of a lady, and |
did but
Your answer. Captain lrcton."
quoth my yonngster. CURLY. II am not
empowered to give or take in the mat :
ter of accommodations"
Not 50 fast, If you please" | re-
Joined. II have no wish to disappoint
your principal. or his master the devil.
Let IL be tomorrow morning at sunrise
In the oak grove which was once my
fathers wood field, each man with his
own blade. And | give you fair warn
Ing. Master Jennifcr; shall kin your
bullyragging captain of light horse as
l would vermin of any other breed. "
AT this Jennifer flung himself from
his saddle with II great laugh
IF you can, he qualified. "But
enough of these by your leave slrs
| am near famished. and as dry as
King David's bottle in the smoke VIII
you give me a bite and sup before
mount and ride again? lis long
gallop back to town on an empty stom
ach. and with gullet as dry as Mr..
Gilbert Stairs wit"
Here was my fresh hearted Dick
Jennifcr hack again all In d breath;
and / made haste to shout for Darius,
and for Tomas to take his horse, and
otherwise to bestir myself to do the
honors OF my poor forest fastness as
well as might.
Luckily my haphaZard larder was
not quite empty. and there Were pres