The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-09-30
copyright. 1908. by stanley ,. weyman.
cHAPTER vI-continued.

learning who the colonel was, nau
acted on the instant and with consid-
cradle presence OF mind.
The colonel remained within doors
! until 1--WE minutes before 3 o'clock.
Then, attending to the directions he
had received. he made his way 10 q
particular dcor a little within the
barrack gate.
Had he glanced up at the windows
he would have seen faces at them;
moreover, a suspicious ear might have
caught a scurrying Of feet. mingled
with stifled laughter. But he ! not
look up. He did not seem to expect
to see more than he found when ne
entered--a great bare room, with It's
floor strewn with sawdust and its walls
adorned here and there by q gaunt
! trophy of arms. In the middle OF the
floor, engaged apparently In weighing
one foil against another, was a stout,
dark man, whose light and nimble step
gave the lie to his weight.
Certainly there came from q half
npened door at the end Of the room q
stealthy sound as of rats taking cover.
But Colonel John did not look that
way. His whole attention was bent
upon the maitre d'armes. who bowed
low to him. Clicking his heels to-
gether and [ ending his palms In the
French fashion. Good morning. sare,"
he said, his southern accent unmis-
taxable. 50" make o welcome"
The colonel returned his salute less
deliberately.
aThe maitre d'armes. Lemoine?" he
Eyes. sare: that Is me. At your
service"
II am a stranger in Tralee, and I
have been recommended to apply to
you. You are, ! am told, accustomed
to giving lessons"
M frNytAh fha nvnall "a. CwHTAm 9l thu
Frenchman answered, with the anne
gesture of the open hands. 1T Is my
profession"
II am desirous of brushing UP my
knowledge-such as It is"
"A vare good notion" the fencing
master replied, his black. beady eyes
twinkling. Ware good for me. Ware
the gentleman's motto, and to make
himself ready his high recreation. But,
doubtless, sare," with q faint smile,
you are proficient and I teach you
nothing. You come but to sweat a
little"
with simplicity, II was fairly prof.
cient. Then-this happened. He held
out his right hand. you seer"
"Ah!" the Frenchman said in a low
tone, n he raised his hands. THAT
Is ware ogly. That Is ware ogly. Can you
hold with that?" he added. Inspecting
the hand with interest. He was a diff
ferent man.
so. So" the colonel replied cheer
fully.
Not strong. Ell? 1t is not possible"
mot very strongly" the colonel as
sented. His hand. like Bales, lacked
two fingers.
Lemoine muttered something ,under
his breath and looked at the colonel
with q uTrfnl1n6 hWosxr "a ta1Nr,f f.nfIgb ha
said "and how long are you like that,
sare?'
Seven years"
PITY, pityi" Lemoine exclaimed.
Again he looked at his visitor with
perplexed eyes,. After which, "Peste!"
ne said suddenly.
The colonel stared.
1T is not right" the Freuchman
continued frowning. "T-nol Pardon
me. sare, I do not fence with les estro-
pies.
If the Colonel had been listening he
might have caught the sound Of a
warning cough. proceeding from the
direction OF the inner room; but he
had his back to the half opened door.
But IT," he objected, II am willing to
pay for an hours practice"
Another day. sare. Another day, II
you will"
But I shall not be here another day.
have but today By and by" he
continued with a smile, as kindly as il
was humorous, II shall begin to think
that you are afraid to pit yourself
against q manchot!"
"Oh, lai lai"
do me the favor, then" Colonel
John retorted. ~Lf you please"
Against one of the walls were three
chairs arranged in a row. Before each
stood q bootblack, and beside 1t a pair
OF boot hooks; oyer 1t, fixed In the wall,
were w or three pegs for the occu"
pants wig, crayat and cane The Col
onel, without waiting for a further
nswer. took his seat on one of the
chairs. removed his boots. and then
his coat, vest n wig, which he hung
on the pegs above him.
And now" he said gaily, as he stood
up, the mask!"
He did not see the change, but as
he rose, the door OF the room behind
him became fringed with grinning
faces. Payton. the two youths who had
leaned from the window OF the inn, a
couple Of older officers, half a dozen
subalterns, all were there. The more
grave could hardly keep the more hill
arious In order. The stranger who
fought no duels, yet thought that a
lesson or two would make him a
match for a dead-hand like Payton-
was ever such a promising joke con-
ceived?
The Frenchman made no further de-
muir. He toe his mask. and proffered
a choice of foils to his antagonist,
whose figure, freed from the heavy
coat and vest of the day, seemed more
supple than the Frenchman had ex-
pected. "A pity. a PITY" the latter
said to himself. &c have lost, IL he
W. was professor. the joy OF life"
Are POI ready?" Colonel John
asked.
AT your service, sare," the maitre
d'armes replied. The I'VE advanced
"a a foot, they touched sw~~ds, ther
saluted with that graceful and cour-
teous engagement which to ar ignor-
ant observer is one of the charms of
the foil. AS they did so, and steel
grated or steel, the eavesdroppers In
the inner room ventured softly from
ambush-like rats issuing forth.
They were on the broad grin when
they came out. But 1t took them less
tina a minute to discover that the en-
tertainment was not likely TO be SO ex-
travagantly funny rs they had hoped.
The Colonel vas not, strictly speaking,
a tyro; moreover he had, as he said,