The Washington times., 1913-05-03
CHAPTER v.
The Student Of Tully.

Inc StuQeut VI 1uuy.
T. the midnight hour. when
~ Thomsine Musgrove stole from
~ the erstwhile house of the sta
toner, with her heart in her
| boots-or. to be accurate. in the bor-
rowed boots of her drunken young hus-
| band that was to be-Karl-Ludwig Won
kerstenbroock, known to scores OF his
| countrymen as Durchziehter, and to a
few of his intimacy as Kerichen eng
lish, little chap, was settling himself
for what was left of the night in his
| chamber at the Red Lion.
Characteristically he had put all care
behind him. Happy, indeed, he could
call himself in that at Oxford he had
lighted upon Jack Aubrey. with whom
he had aforetime drunk Bruederschaft!
In Jacks experienced hands he had
! contentedly left all arrangements that
pertained to the pending conflict. He
| understood that at four of the clock he
should be conducted by Jack to Walset
Mead, a place as unknown to him as
Grim Tartary. There he saw no OBJ
stacle in the way Of his giving that
unverschaemter Musgrove the lessoning
that he so sorely needed unless that
green-velvet Lump should, for the sake
to let the provost get wind of the en-
counter.
He had no intent to kill the roaring
Musgrove. unless. indeed. he We're
forced thereto by the FOOLS own mala-
droitness. But he surely meant to make
him most uncomfortable
For he. so hard and wiry and COM
petent, held 1t a personal affront that
anything so loose and large and inept
, as Musgrove should go trampling
around the world under the name of
man.
Characteristically, also. Won Kersten-
brock recognized the possibility that
he might himself be hurt or even slain.
For he wa5 pitted. as he realized.
against a very tyro, and he nor any
man could foretell what an utter fool
might do.
Accordingly he had set his affairs in
order by writing q letter to the head
Of his house. his uncle in Oldenburg,
He wrote always to this uncle on the
eve of duel. never AT any other time.
and he used a form that was fairly
stereotyped:
NV Highly Honored Uncle:
Tomorrow am 1 to fight with So-and-
So at such-and-such a place. with Mr..
A. and Mr.. b. to my seconds. In event
Of fatality have i sufficiency with me
to give my body such burial as is fitting.
I rest. in all duteousness. your nephew
to serve you.
Having given his letter to the host.
Win IlOHty 70 pay ulophbSAip
Won Kerstenbroock had not care in
the world save to make himself COM
Portable
To that end he had laid off his boots.
doublet and jerkin. and set a jug or
small beer on the table. Then ha had
established himself In an armchair
within easy reach OF the jug, with his
stockinged feet on a stool. and In his
hand a small brown Tully, which he
had taken from his cloak-bag.
He never slept nor drank more deenly
on the eve of a fight. At such times he
preferred company, but failing that, ne
read Tully with unfeigned interest. and
now and then treated himself to swal
low Of beer
To look at him, with his mouth softly
rei.xed and his eyelids lowered and
his brown head bent demure above his
hook, YOU would have said that he was
a dil!gent schoolboy, coming the NOR
rows task unless you happened 10
note the shocking sword-scar, ~hicn
the loose shirt half disclosed upon ms
chest and the red wheel upon the right |
inner forearm, where the shirt-sleeVe
was upturned.
souvenir at last of what Won ker- !
stenbroock named a friendly en-
counter. In his vocabulary friendly |
meant a bout in which both combat |
ants brought the breath OF life in |
bodies. however mangled. from the
Of such encounters he troubled him
self to keep no reckoning. The tale OF
his "serious'' duels-the number of men |
that he had slain-was five. Withal he
esteemed himself as quiet and peace
a BILE a man as ever walked.
perhaps he was right Your cobra Is. |
efter al; quiet creature; dIs.eh phIess him you
Upon the studious.. quiet Won Ker-
s+enhroock obtruded itself a hesitating |
knock. whereof he made no doubt the
drawer was agent. He had NOT iallen
to note the tiptoe fashion IN VIII which .n sne
fellow had, In these last h"urs' "p-
Herein" bade Won Kerstenbroock. |
~ ne reached for the beer
Ateeter on the threshold. the drawer
exnIaIned that here was Young lad |
to sneak with Mr.. Castingbroke:
$50, said Won Kerstenbroock He |
set down the jug promptly with VISIONS
Of a warning message from JACK Au-
y, Gioomilv he told himself that he had
known that unverschaemter Musgrove
would serve them some schlimm TRICK.
Let him in!'
moment later the lad was IN the
room an6 had closed the door. though |
he kent guardedly nigh it-a Young lad, |
richIy dressed, reddish haired brown |
eyed. thin-faced. Of the age when a lad
has in him most OF woman. nat Eluch
Won Kerstenbroock had learned in a |
half second.
'WeIl?" he questioned.
Tim fain to sneak WIN MI, Won
Kernstenbroock.' faltered Thoms'ne
Musgrove.
.No nor She wrung a fold of her
cloak (Carisfords cloak between her
nervous hands. II seek the man that
slew Basil Dormer.
OH said Thomsine. foolishly.
In all those tinglinG. trepidated min
u.es. while she scurried s"lft-ioot !
through the midnight town on her |
crazed errand she had been visioning !
the ronster to whom she must make |
her plea.
She had known in her. life no sword
ers, practioed or otherwise. so she could
but figure Dormer's butcher as choice |