Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
By Arthur w. Marchmont,
Author of
"A Dash for a Throne"

| very inherent InOllNeS
My old reputation for recklessneSS mad
made them afraid of me. but. according
| to Breva. many of them believed that my
injury had so changed me that l was no
longer dangerous-that 1 had turned
coward. in fact In this way my former
supremacy had been destroyed.
| / resolved that that night should see 1t
! asserted. The majority of the men were
a poor lot, and were almost entlrely
under the influence of Giuseppe, Drake
and Ahmet the Turk. The last was away
with Beltano. and the only other man of
any consequence was Luigi. fellow VINO
| had made some advances to me.
e, Giuseppe was the man l blamed for the
| attempt on Masita. but both he and
Drake should feel the weight of my anger
| that night
| 1 was rummaging for some tobacco in
side my hut when the two men joined the
others. / heard their voices, and. glanc-
ing out, saw that the rest whispered to
them and pointed in my direction. Giu-
seppe laughed and oathed and took his
seat with shrug of Indifference. but
ness. and -as l went over to them his
fingers played nervously with the haft of
his knife.
Il have been waiting for you. Gu
| Seppe,' / said.
He took his cigarette from his lips,
paused. glanced up at me and sneered.
What is it to me what you do? Wait
| or go. It's all one to me-.
! You know what ! want with you. Get
! up. If you're not afraid
! He laughed and swore. 81 know that
don't want anything with you"
The rest snioe at the reply. save
Luigi. who drew closer.
| Without ano,.. -..ord l twisted my
| hand in Giuseppe's neckerchfef. dragged
him to his feet and sent him staggering
back. Drake whipped out his knife on
| the instant and rushed to attack me. But
had time to turn and crash my fist into
his face. "Wait." cried. hot with rage.
| I'll deal with you afterward. You shall
| have all the knife work you want"
The rest had sprung to their feet now
and stood round us. murmuring against
ME end taking the side of the other two.
| What does this mean Beppo? What
| have they done?' asked Luigi
| Giuseppe had recovered his balance and
| stood. white with passion at my rough
handling of him. his hand on his knife.
| ''They both know we'll enough. Luigi,
| I went right up to Giuseppe. He stood
his ground and saw his fingers tighten
on the blade of his knife do they know
of your Internal treachery?"
What in hills name do you mean?'
"You lie. Giuseppe. You do know. and
you shall answer to me-
who in the name of h-l1 made you
master?" he growled. fiercely, and Drake
led chorus of jeerS at me.
Hold your snarlng tongues" / cried,
|
murmuring and eying me sullenly from
| under lowering browS.
But the incident nearly cost me my life.
| The moment my eyes left Giuseppe's face
| he whipped out his knife and sprang to-
ward me. ready to strike. ! jumped back
just as the blade flashed through the air.
| The next instant my own blade was
barred and the fight had begun in earnest
| AS we stood watching each other like
wildcats waiting for the chance to spring.
| Drake made another dastardy attempt
| to help his friend by attacking me from
behind. / heard his rush. but dared not
take my eyes from my antagonists face,
and then heard Luigi's voice.
| mo, no. Drake. Fair play. Giuseppe
was the first to draw After that not a
| word more was spoken, and when after
a feint of Giuseppe's. our positions were
| changed, l saw the Greek had been dis
| hand.
| We two were not badly matched. Gu
| seppe was somewhat taller than I. but
carried more flesh. We were both strong
| but judged that I could outlast him.
had' another advantage, moreover. He
was beside himself with passion: his eyes
| blazed and his furious eagerness to kill me
| so mastered him that the point of his
| weapon quivered. The sight of the barred
knives had wrought him to frenzy.
| On me the effect was the reverse. had
| been hot enough in the moment before
we faced one another. but presence of
danger sobered me instantly. for l knew
that my life depended upon my keeping
| a cool head
| His rage soon began to show itself in
his fighting. He tired of waiting for the
chance to get through my guard and be-
gan to feint. making sharp. sudden
rushes. springing here, darting there, lift
| ing his knife for blow. and leaping
back: using every ruse to force me back
or get me off my guard. and displaying
wonderful agility and fnesse.
| 1 was glad to see his tactics. I neither
gave ground nor took it: letting him tire
himself. II he would, and reserved my
strength for the struggle to come later.
My eye never left his for second. and
| as he circled round me he was careful to
keep we'll beyond my reach.
| Once only he came few inches too far,
| having misjudged the distance. but with
a dexterous stoop and leap he saved him.
self
| 1t was narrow escape and affected
| his nerve. The expression of his eyes
| changed. Some of the confidence with
which he had commenced the fight waned,
and in it's place doubt Of the issue began
to show.
| I could read this signal. He had held
| the same opinion the rest-that the
| change in me had meant loss of cour-
age. He had started with a full belief
| that he would have an easy victory, and
| had mistaken my stolid method of fight
| ing for loss Of skill or the result Of cow
| ardice.
| The knowledge that only by hairs
| breadth had he saved himself from de-
| feat had changed all that. He had found
me ready to use chance when 1t had
| come. and began to realize how greatly
| he had misunderstood me. How narrow
| his escape had been was empha sized by
a cry of dismay from one or two of the
| others.
| He was now breathing hard with his
! exertions. too, and wishful to regain his
wind. began to fight more warily.
| But it was not my cue to give him the
| fight from my side. Stepping forward
with sudden feint drove him back. AS
| he stepped back / advanced and he trip
! ped. He saved himself from a fall. but
| once more the incident disconnected him.
| The logged method Of fighting was all
| opposed to his nature, moreover He
| lacked the patience and the self-control,
| and a moment later resumed his former
| tactics. But he was wilder now. Doubt
| had laid it's hand on him. He was eager
| for the finish baff1ed by my steady re-
| fusal to be misled by his feints into CIV
| ing him the chance he sought. and began
| to grow desperate.
| 1 saw now that I should win and some
| thing of the feeling must have shown
itself in my eyes. for he let out a violent
| oath as he made his next effort to draw
me into false move.
| 1t was almost his last. In his rage he
misjudged the distance again. and again
my blade only just missed his body, slash
| ing his arm as he sprang back.
| There was another murmur from the
| others the blood was drawn, and in
| his eyes the unmistakable sign of fear