Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-09

as fierce as it was sudden, II tell ZEE
you be a liar, an a coward-I know, l
know-Tve heerd an I've seen-your lynn,
towards tongue sha'n't save 'ee-oh,
ecod! WI your white face an tremblin'
'ands-you be a shame to the woman as
loves ye, an the woman as bore ye!-
stand up, Il say, or by God! I'll do for
eel" and he raised his weapon.
without another word / picked up the
cudgel, and, pointing to gate little
farther along the road, l led the way into
the meadow beyond. On the other side
of this meadow ran the lane 1 have mem
toned before, and beyond the lane was
the Hollow, and glacing thitherward, I
bethought me that supper would be
ready and Chairman waiting for me,
just about now, and I sighed, remem-
Der. as / drew off my coat, and laid It,
together with my hat, under the hedge
The moon was beginning to rise, casting
the magic OF her pale loveliness upon the
world and. as l rolled up my sleeves,
glanced round me with an eye that
strove to take I'm the beauty of all things
of hedge and tree and winding road,
the gloom Of wood, the sheen of water,
and the far. soft sweep OF hill and dale.
over all these my glance fingered yearn-
inGly, for II seemed to me that this look
might be my last. And now, as / stopped
and gripped my weapon, i remembered
how had, that morning. kissed her fin
gers, and ] was strangely comforted and
glad.
The night air, which had been warm
heretofore, struck chilly now, and, as I
stood up fronting Black George, shiv-
cred, seeing which he laughed, short and
fierce. and, with the laugh, came at me.
striking downwards at my head as he
came, and tough wood met tough wood
with shock that Jared me from wrist
10 shoulder,
To hit him upon the arm. and disable
him. was my one thought and object. I
therefore watched for an opening, parry
ing his swift strokes and avoiding his
rushes as we'll as / might Time and again
our weapons crashed together now above
my head. now 10 right, or left, some-
times rattling IN quick succession. some-
times with pauses between strokes,
pauses Allied In with the sound OF heavy
breathing and the oeaseless thud OF feet
upon the sward.
/ was already bruised in half a dozen
places. my right hand and arm felt
numb and with a shooting pain In the
shoulder that grew more acute with
every movement; my breath also was
beginning 20 labor Yet still Black
George pressed on, untiring. relentless,
showering blow on blow, while my arm
grew ever weaker and weaker. and the
pain In my shoulder throbbed more in
tensely.
How long had we fought9 hvs minutes
--ten-half an hour-an hOurY 1 could see
the sweat cleaning upon his cheek his
eyes were wild. his mouth gaped open,
and he drew his breath In great sob
hing pants. But. as / looked. his cudgel
hroke through my tired guard, and. taxi
ing me full upon the brow, drove me reel
ing back: my weapon slipped from my
grasp. and, blinded with blood, ! stag
gered to and fro. like a drunken man.
and presently slipped 10 the grass. And
how sweet IL was to lie thus. with my
cheek unon kind mother earth, 70 stretch
my aching body. and with my weary
limbs at rest But Black George stood
above me. painting. and, as his eyes met
mine, he iaughed-a strang-sounding.
broken laugh, and whirled up his cudgel
to beat out my brains-even as the Ped
Ter haze foretold-tomorrow the blackbird
would sing upon my motionless breast.
and. looking into Black Georges eyes-I
smiled.
"Get upla he painted. and lowered the
cudgcl Get up-or, by 0od-rn do
Tor 'eei'
sishiEs. / rose. ana took the eudgel he