Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-05-17

49, 49,
ticed what he learned with an English
man as heavy and awkward as himself.
But that was all. He made a few wild,
clumsy rushes, parrying wildly. When
/ had foiled these, the danger was over,
and l held him at my mercy.
| played with him a little while,
watching the sweat gather on his
brow, and the shadow Of the church
tower fall deeper and darker, like the
shadow Of doom on his face. Not out
Of cruelty-God knows ! have never
erred in that direction!-but because,
for the first time in my life, I felt
a strange reluctance to strike the
blow. The curls chung to his forehead;
! his breath came and went in gasps;
I heard the men behind me murmur,
and one or two of them drop an oath;
and then | slipped-slipped, and was
down in a moment on my right side,
/ my elbow striking the pavement so
sharply that the arm grew numb to
the wrist.
He held off! heard a dozen voices
cry, "Now! now you have him!" But
he held off. He stood back and waited
with his breast heaving and his point
lowered, until | had risen and stood
again on my guard.
Enough! enough" a rough voice
behind me cried. Don't hurt the man
after that"
"On guard, Sir!" I answered coolly-
for he seemed to waver. ut was an
accident. 1t shall not avail you again."
Several voices cried "Shame!" and
one, "You coward" But the English
man stepped forward, a fixed look in
his blue eyes. He took his place with
out a word. + read in his drawn white
face that he had made UP his mind to
the worst, and his courage won my ad-
miration. I would gladly and thank
fully have set one of the lookers-on-
any of the lo~okers-on-in his place;
but that could not be. So I thought Of
Zaton's closed to me, of Pombal's in
suit, Of the sneers and Sights | had
long kept at the swords point; and,
pressing him suddenly in a heat Of af-
fected anger, thrust strongly over
his guard, which had grown feeble,
and ran him through the chest.
When I saw him lying, laid out on
the stones with his eyes half shut, and
his face glimmering white in the dusk
not that I saw him thus long, for
there were a dozen kneeling around
rim in a twinkling-I felt an unwonted
pang. 1t passed, however, in a mo-
/ ment. For I found myself confronted
by a ring Of angry faces-of men who,
keeping at a distance, Kissed and
threatened me.
They were mostly canaille, who had
gathered during the fight, and had
viewed all that passed from the far
ther side Of the ratings. While some
snarled and ragged at me like wolves,
calling me Butcher" and "Cut-
throat" and the like, or cried out
that Berault was at his trade again,
others threatened me with the VEN
geance Of the cardinal. flung the edict
in my teeth. and said with glee that
the guard was coming--they would see
me hanged vet.
Ellis blood is on your head!" n
cried furiously. "He will be dead in
an hour. And you will swing for him!
Hurrah!x
"Begone to your kenneth an
swered, with a look which sent him q
yard backwards, though the ratings
were between us. And I wiped my
blade carefully, standing q little apart.
! For-well, could understand tit
was q Of those moments when a man
Is not popular.
But | was not to be outdone In sang
froid. / cooked my hat, and drawing
my cloak over my shoulders, went
out with q swagger which drove the
ours from the gate before ! came with
In d dozen PAGES Of 1t. The rascals
outside fell back as quickly, and in a
moment ! was in the street. Another
moment and r should have been clear
Of the place and free TO lie BY tor q