The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1905-04-21

From h a We fell silent again, be-
ing but a little way from the rendez-
Vous. II SO continued until. ut a sud
den turn in the road, we came in sight
of a rude barricade OF felled trees bar
ring the u Jennifcr SAW it first and
pulled up short, loosing his pistols III
their cases as he drew rein.
Ware h GOD! he said sharply.
and none too soon, for vel as he spoke
the glade at IL left filled as by magic
with a motley troop d~eploying into the
road as to surround us.
Nov, who are these" asked;
friends or foes?"
Foes who will hang you in YOU w
halter strap: Jan Howart's Tories
the same that burned the Westcotts in
their cabin Il fortnight since. Will your
horse take that barricade, think you?"
"Aye-standing. If need be-"
Then at them, in Gods name.
Charge"
1t needle but the word and we We're
in the thick of ii. / remembered my
old field marshai's miXim, Won l'einden
umringt, list die Zeit Zu 2erschmettern;
n truly. being so plentifully
bered, we did strike both first n
hard.
A line of the ragged horsemen strung
itself awkwardly across the road to
guard the himsy barricade. and at this
we charged, stirrup to stirrup. In the
1ash there was a scattering volley from
the wood, answered instantly by the
bellowings of Jennifer's great pistols.
and then we came to steel.
1t was my first fleshing OF the good
old Andrea, m a better balanced blade
had never swung in hand-to-hand
mellay. AS W. closed with the half
dozen defenders of the barrier. Jennifer
refined aside to give me room to play
to right and left, and in the midst of ii
went nigh to death because he held
mis- hand to watch Il cut and double
thrust of mine.
"Over with you" / shouted. priclling
the man who would have moved him
down With a great scythe handled as a
sword.
Our horses took the barrier in a fly
ing leap, straining themselves for the
ace beyond. When we had pulled
them down to Il foot pace we We're
safely out of rifle shot and there was
space to u the cost.
There was no cost worth counting.
"A saddle horn bullet-shattered for me,
and the back of Jennifer's sword hand
scored Nightly across by another of the
random missiles summed up our
chief to twist about the scored hand,
While L glanced back to see if amy
Tory cared to follow.
Lord, Jack! l owe you one to keep
and II to pay back quoth my young
ster. warmly. Il never saw Il swords
man till this day!"
Mere tricks, Dick, my lad: have
had fifteen years in which TO learn
them. And these We're but country
yokels armed with farming tools. The
TWO with swords had little wit TO use
them"
ooh, comet" aid he. 81 now a pref
ty bit OF sword play when 1 see it. If
,.l~J- -. ~.
with the baronet Nou shall teach me
some of these mere tricks o ffyours."
l promised. .lancinS back toward the
lust-veiled barrier in the distance.
Dick, you. passed this way an hour
ago; was thai breastwcrk in the road
them"
Not a stick of it,
Then we may are say u volun-
teer captain fights unwillingly."
How SOP he demanded, being much
too straightforward himself to aspect
luplicity in others.
Ills plain enough. This WAS a
trap, meant to stop or delay Is. and
I'll wager high it was the haronet who
set and baited it. 1t would please him
well to be able to say what our failure
TO come would give him warrant for.
Let us gallop Il 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 if that would
give you better leave to kill him. I'd
hate TO own YOU for my nemy, John
treton.'
For all II 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.
In hroad-shouldered young Briton, fair
IF clin and r11lV pf face
If Falconnet had set the Tory trap
for us he yelled his disappointment at
its failure. His face. lark and inscrut-
able as it always was. was made more
sinister by the plasters knitting up his
broken cheek. but 1 vas right glad to
make sure that my blow had spared his
eyes. Richly as he deserved his fate,
IL thought it would be i'll to think on
afterward that l had had him at a 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. l gave my sword
together. There was some measuring
ind balancing of weapons, and then
Richard came back.
"The baronet's sword is a good inch
longer than yours in the blade. and is
somewhat heavier. Tybee has brought
~ pdlI OL ItitCli SilOIl SWORDS Wlllcl
he offers. Will you change your
terms?"
mo: l am content to fight with my
own. weapon.
Jennifer nodded. $50 1 told him"
And then: There was no surgeon to
be had in town, DR.. Carew. having gone
with the minute men. to, join Mr.. Ru-
therford. Iyhee says tits scarce in rc-
cordance with the later ruling to fight
without one.'
TO the devil with their hairspllt-
tings!" said l. Let us have done with
them n be at it,"
F%alconnet wa removing his coat,
and l stripped mine. The seconds hose
the ground where the turf was short
and firm, and yet yielding enough to
give good footing. We faced each 9TH
er, my antagonist barring an arm which,
despite the bejeweled hand, was to the
full as big-muscled as my own. NY
glance went from his weapon, a rather
heavy German blade, straight and slen-
der-rcinted. to his face. He was smil-
ing SN n who strives to make the
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