Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-01-04
CHAPTER III.

of the new day at turn in the river
road not above mile or two from the
rendezvous, and thence we logged on
together.
SO F'alconnet is on terms at Apple
by Hundred, is hep asked.
"Oh, surely. Gilbert Stair keeps
open house for any and all of the win
ming hand as l told you"
The thought Of this unspoiled young
maiden having aught to do with such
q man made my blood boil afresh; and
in the heat of it I let my secret slip.
or rather some small part of it.
"So?" queried Jennifer. Then this
is not your first knowing of him."
mo" So much l said and no more.
Tell me what you know OF him, and
what it was he said of Madge," he en-
treated. You can't deny me now.
Jack"
Il can and shall. 1t matters not to
you or to any what he is or has been.
1 shall present run him through. and
so his account will be squared once for
all with all men-and all women, as
we'll"
From that we fell silent again, being
but little way from the rendezvous.
and so continued until. at sudden
turn Ia the road, we came in sight of a
rude barricade of felIed trees barring
the way Jennifer saw it first and
pulled up short, loosing his pistols in
their cases as he drew rein.
Ware the wood" he said sharply,
and none too soon, for even as he
spoke the glade at our left filled as by
magic with a motley troop deploying
into the road as to surround us.
Now who are these% l asked;
friends or foes?"
Foes who will hang you in your
own halter strap: Jan Howart's Tories
the same that burned the Westcotts
In their cabin fortnight since Will
your horse take that barricade. think
your"
"Aye-standing, if need be-"
1t needed but the word and we were
In the thick of it. A line OF the rag
ged horsemen strung itself awkwardly
across the road to guard the himsy
bnrrfcade, and at this we charged,
stirrup to stirrup. In the dash there
was a scattering volley from the wood,
answered instantly by the bellowings
of Jennifers great pistols; and then
we came to the steel.
1t was my first fleshing of the good
old Andrea, and a better balanced
blade l had never swung in hand-to-
hand mellay. AS we closed with the
half dozen defenders of the barrier,
Jennifer refined aside to give me room
to play right and left, and in the
midst OF it went nigh to death because
he held his hand to watch a cut and
double thrust of mine.
over with you!" 1 shouted, pricking
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
race beyond. When we had pulled
them down to foot pace we were
safely out of rifle shot and there was
space to count tbe cost.
There was no cost worth counting.
A saddle horn bullet-shattered for me,
and the back of Jennifer's sword hand
scored lightly across by another of
the random missiles summed up our
woundiags. Dick whipped out his kerr
chief to twist about the scored hand,
while ! glanced back to see if any
Tory cared TO follow.
"Dicsr. you passed this way an hour
ago; was that breastwork in the road
them" | asked.
Not a stick of it,"
Then this was q trap, meant to stop
or delay us. and I'll wager it was the
baronet who set and baited it. 1t
would please him we'll to be able to
say what our failure to come would
give him warrant for. Let us gallop a
bit. lest we be late and so play into
his hand"
For all our swift speeding we were
yet little late at the rendezvous I'M
der the tall oaks. When we came on
the ground the baronet was walking
up and down arm in arm Will, his Sec
ond. broad shouldered young Briton.
fair of skin and ruddy OF face
If Falconnet had set the Tory trap
for US he yelled his disappointment at
its failure. His face. dark and inscru-
table as IL always was. was made
more sinister by the plasters knitting
up hia broken cheek, but l was right
glad TO make sure that my blow had
sps.ted his eyes Richly as he deserved
his fate, l thought il would be M to
think on afterward that / had had him
at . disadvantage of my own making.
There was little time wasted in the
preiminaries. When Falconnet saw
us he dropped his seconds arm and
began to make ready. I gs.v0 my sword
to Jsnnifer. and the seconds went apart
together. There was some measuring
and balancing of weapons. and then
Richard came back
THE baronets sword is a good inch
longer than yours in the blade. and is
somewhat heavier Tybee has brought
pair OF French short-swords which
he offers. ''Wn you change your
terms? ?"
NO; I am content to fight with my
own weapon"
FaIconnet was removing his coat.
and I stripped mine. The seconds
close the ground where the turf was
short and firm. and Yet yielding enough
TO give good footing We faced each
other. my antagonist barring an arm
which. despite the bejewelod hand. was
TO the fun as big-muscled as my own.
Ny glance went from his weapon. a
rather heavy German blade. straight
and slender pointed. to his face. He
was smiling as one who strives TO
make the outer man mask TO cover
ell emotion.
The seconds fell back. but when
Jennifer would have given the signal
/ stopped him.
"One moment. II you please. Sir
Francis Falconnnet, YOU know met"
The thin-lidded eyes We're yelled for
an instant. and then he lied smoothly.
Your pardon. Captain Ireton; have
net that honor"
Ills a small matter, but you do
lie this morning as basely as you lied
TO Richard Coverdale nine years
agone." said I: and then signed Jen-
infer to give the word
Attention. gentlemen. On guard
My enemy's sword ieaped to meet
mine, and at the same instant hearo
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