The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-07-15
By CRITTENDEN MARRIOTT


bic whatever OfTer Colonel Volta may
have made you. What do you saw
Thinking II ell over, I cannot under
stand why tire oaron's words should
s-cve made ne 20 angry. Certainly he
was warranted in suDposing thar /
was serving Colonel Volta for hire
ana II was, he had no reason to
suppose Ihat / would scOrn a larger
oheT. Perhaps il was the conscious
ness or my own degradation that en-
RACED me
But. furious as I was. managed to
ensemble II was important that I
should learn Just where the baron stood.
~ VI nat IS your Ofer. exacfIv2'F asked
Inc baron shrugged his shoulders.
on VIII 20 with meas a Yprisons r.
As sCch YOU VIII have an opportunity of
seeing much OF Miss Latour. Find ont
ron her the whereabouts OF this man
she IS seeking. and the moment we veri-
~ your statement YOU shall 80 free
Sno De rewarded TO any extent you may
You want ne 10 cheat Miss Latour2
To cheat and betray her?"
70 Iar as 1 can see. YOU are already
doing that very thing As I reminded
YOU rust now, you are not PLAYING 10
Sne gallery You went TO Virginia
Springs as the SPY Of Colonel Volta You
S S9oh ms money. his assistance his ship.
ana YOU betrayed him-vou used his shin
ana MS men Tor YOUR own ends
ne eiore II IS not well that YOU
should pirate Of honor. I offer you this
4
easiest way Of learning what 7 wish
But there are other WAYS For the last
time do vGu accept
fou have mistaken your man.
Then The baron sp-anz IN his
rect snatChing I'D TWO cULIasses that
lay on the ground beside him as he aid
So, one OF them he flung at my feet.
Then. he cried. you dle1'
am not IUick-w4ttsd That much. Al
least must have lonS since been appar-
enJ- When the cUIl1ss fell AT nv feet
SAT stllL staring a. Il unCOn1prehendin
" me soooenness Of the thing dazed
The baron stamped his foot impa-
Come ne ordered. 'Piclz II IN and
guard yourself You fool. Haf you sup
posed that you could thwart me. de-
SJTOy my ship, Kill my men, and then
dog my footsteps UNPUBLISHED Nefnl
Mem Pick I'D your sword. i regret Us
You VIII ind II effective enough.
promise you"
picked up the blade and rose to my
feet After all. I was not sorry that
matters had come TO crisis. In height,
weight, and length OF reach the baron
was a fair match for me, and, besides
well. was always better at acting
than talking
so you want 10 murder me. do you2'-
I said 80 y nv didn't you stab me in the
back and be done with III II would
have been easier
The baron drew himself up hauEhtny-
Il am no bravo he returned. Besides,
II is not necessary. This way IS Just a.
sure and not quite so trying TO the con
science I hat given YOU a chance 10
defend yourself, M Scott, but do not
celude yourself that I hat given you
chance 10 escape On guard, sir-'-
slowly 7 uusheathed the heavy blade
and threw aside the sea Dbard-
And how u I refuse 10 rlg-r p I de-
uauded.
You have no choIce-unIess you pre-
fer 90 be stabbed without resistance
On guard sir. I arr IN haste"
HIS blade FLASHED against mine as I
fe-l into position Instantly lie olsen
gagged and thrust. and I felt the chill
o. his steel as u rasped against mine
within a hairs breadth OF my throat
Quickly recovering, he thrust again,
and 7 heard the hiss OF the blade as IL
slashed my coat sleeve. once more he
thrust as before, but this time I was
ready and his steel went wide
The baron sprang back and dropped
his point
'So.-' he cried. IL frank astonishment.
so You hat been trained Who would
have expected II IN an American
They train us vel at the Point
remarked iECauIiousIv-
At the Point? West Point2 HimmeI,
50 lie paused for an instant. while
his mind accommodated itself 10 the
new point OF view $50 you are the
Scott-the man who murdered his com
race 7 -s-i ana robbed him Had known this
j would not have crossed swords with
YOU I nGnJ only with gentlemen
Colonel NOlta's warning that sooner or
later I would meet DOOR JOrdau-s muir
cerers came back 70 me.
How do ycu come 10 know OF an ill.,
$ l--ll--ca.2I happening IN the Philip
pines ceTuan led BE careful baron
or YOU may have 20 explain your own
connection with that murder
II was a mere chance shot but Il told
\ strange ioCk-Was it fear or fury p
flashed across the Germans face. and
without warning. he spEanE forward and
lunced straight at my heart
His first attack had been careless. TX
icctnE 10 meet tyro- he had not fully
eN-rteG either his skill or his strength.
Ert about his second assault there vas
rlSht. @ left, his blade flashed His
sword was uCL sword II was a living
fame K was the first time I had ever
fought Tor nv lie AGAINST q sWOrlIs-
man. Pray heaven e may be the last,
How long We fought I do not know
But We fought until the grand under
cur fee was JramDied hard fought -iII
my arm was weary and heavy as lead;
fought until ny brain reeied.
Eveu IL q cooler climate the violence
OF the assault would have wearied me-
bJ-t there In the LrOuiCai forest where
the vertical sun, biazinE on the rotJinS
baIations, IL soon grew insuppOrtable-
The sweat poured down my face and
filled my eyes. hlurTinC the sparks from
the flashing blades
Accustomed as ] was to the heat in
America and in the Philippines, 7 felt
myself waiting under the tOrTid glare
How the baron. used to cooler climates
kept up his attack so long I could not
understand Probably IL did detract
from both his skin and his viSor, and
II So Il certainly saved my life
Through Il all I stood on the defen-
siVe- I knew what my own skill had
once been, but had no measure Of the
baUOu'S- besides. workmanship is an
exotic IN America, and I had lacked
the pracuce needed 10 keep in cOndi-
tion.
Nevertheless as the assault went on
and my defense proved good. confidence
rose in me. / felt that I was the bar
on's equal at the game. Half dozen
times I believed that I could have
sIasned that dark throat
WHY [ fOrbore 7 scarcely understand
even now. but forbear did Perhaps
we Americans are really sQueamish
where steel Is conce-ned-where We can
see at close quarters the results Of our
handiwork. At any rate endured his
attack. but for long time made no at