The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-03-07


/ Suddenly 1here was 4 change OF
/ tactics. buckingham moved swiftly
aside. away to his left; 1t was almost
leap; and as he moved he lunged
I in the new line he now confronted,
/ lunge calculated to take HOLES in
the flank. But Holes shifted his
I feet with the speed of d dancer, and
veered to face mis- opponent in this
Kew hire, ready TO meet tie hard
driven point when it was delivered.
Meanwhile, the sounds of combat
in that locked room-the stamp of
shifting feet and the ringing of blades
had drawn the attention of the men
in the hall outside. There came a
vigorous knocking on the door accom-
panied by voices. The sound was an
cnheartenirg relief TO Buckingham,
who was finding his opponent much
more difficult to dispatch than he had
expected. Not only this. but. fearless
though he might BE, he was growing
conscious that the engagement was
not without danger to himself. This
"a seal Holes was of an unusual
strength. He raised his voice suddenly:
"A moi, Francois. Antoine. A moir
'Monseigneur," walled the voice OF
Francois, laden with alarm, from be-
yond the oak.
"Enfoncez la porte Buckingham
shouted back.
Came heavy blows upon The door in
answer to that command; then silence
and a shifting of feet, as the grooms
set their straining shoulders to the
oak But he .tCut timbers withstood
such easy methods. ] he mems foot
steps retreated, and there followed a
spell of silence, whose meaning was
quite obvious 10 both combatants. The
grooms were gone for implements to
break down the door.
That made an end of the Coloners
hopes of rendering the Duke defense
less, a task whose difficulty he began
to perceive that he must find almost
insuperable. He settled down, there
fore, to fight with grimmer purpose.
There was no choice for him now but
TO kill Buckingham before the grooms
won through that door, or all would
be lost. indeed.
So far Holes had fought on al
most academic lines, no more, in
deed, being necessary for the purpose
| he had been setting himself But
now thar this purpose was changed,
and finding that mere speed and vigor
could not drive his point beyond the
/ Dukes iron guard, he had recourse
/ to more liberal methods. There was
a trick-a deadly, never failing trick
! that he haI ,1 P-ov,,
an Italian master, a soldier of for
tune who. like himself. had drifted into
mercenary service with the Dutch.
He would essay it now.
He side-stepped to the left. and
lunged on a high line of fierce, his
point aimed at the throat Of his oppo-
net. The object of this was no more
than to make the Duke swing round
to parry Without meeting the oppos-
ing blade as it shifted to the threat
ened line, Holes dropped his point
and his body at the same time. until
he was supported, at fullest stretch,
| by his left hand upon the ground.
/ Upward under the Dukes guard he
/ whirled his point, and the Duke, who
had been carried-as Holes had cal
culated that he would be--a little too
/ far round in the speed required, thus
unduly exposing his left flank, found
/ that point coming straight for his
I heart. He was no more than in time
I to beat II aside with his left hand. and
/ even so it ripped through the sleeve
of his doublet and tore his flesh just
above the elbow.
P1tf
well have been an end of Holes. For
this trick of his was such that it
must succeed or else leave him that
essays 1t momentarily at the mercy
of his antagonist That moment pre-
sented itself now; but it was gone
again before the Duke had mastered
the twitch occasioned him by the
tearing of his arm. His recovery and
downward-driven riposte were swift,
but too late by half a heartbeat
| HOLES was no longer there to be i'm
paled
They smiled grimly at each other
as erect they stood, pausing a second
after that mutually near escape uf
/ death. Then. as a succession of re-
sounding blows fell upon the door,
T HOLES drove at him again with re-
doubled fury.
HOLES realized that there was no
time to lose Buckingham. that his
s:.fety lay in playing for time. and
allowing the others furious attacks
Ito spend themselves against his de-
Tense. Twice again. despite his
wound he used his ieft hand. from
which he blood WIS dripping freely