Indians.

"Coward," cried Claude, "coward and villain! you must fight. My
Indians are faithful to me. You hate to fight,--you are afraid,--but
you must, or I will beat you to death with the blade of my sword."

At this Cazeneau turned purple with rage. He saw how it was. He
determined to show this colonist all his skill, and wound him, and
still take him alive. So, with a curse, he rushed upon Claude. But
his own excitement interfered with that display of skill which he
intended to show; and Claude, who had regained his coolness, had the
advantage in this respect.

A few strokes showed Cazeneau that he had found his master. But this
discovery only added to his rage. He determined to bring the contest
to a speedy issue. With this intent he lunged forward with a deadly
thrust. But the thrust was turned aside, and the next instant
Claude's sword passed through the body of Cazeneau.

CHAPTER XVI.

REUNION.

The wounded man fell to the ground, and Claude, dropping his sword,
sank on his knees beside him. In that one instant all his anger and
his hate fled away. It was no longer Cazeneau, his mortal enemy, whom
he saw, but his fellow-creature, laid low by his hand. The thought
sent a quiver through every nerve, and it was with no ordinary
emotion that Claude sought to relieve his fallen enemy. But Cazeneau
was unchanged in his implacable hate; or, if possible, he was even
more bitter and more malignant now, since he had thus been beaten.

"Away!" he cried, in a faint voice. "Away! Touch me not. Do not exult
yet, Montresor. You think you have--avenged--your cursed father--and
your mother. Do not exult too soon; at least you are--a pauper--a
pauper--a pauper! Away! My own people--will care for me."

Claude rose at this, and motioned to Cazeneau's Indians. They came
up. One of them examined the wound. He then looked up at Claude, and
solemnly shook his head.

"May Heaven have mercy on his soul!" murmured Claude. "I thank Heaven
that I do not know all the bitter wrong that he has done to my
parents. What he has done to me I forgive."

Then, by a sudden impulse, he bent down over the fallen man.
"Cazeneau," said he, "you're a dying man. You have something on your
conscience now. What you have done to me I forgive. May others whom
you have injured do the same."

At this magnanimous speech Cazeneau rolled his glaring eyes furiously
towards the young man, and then, supplied with a sudden spasmodic
strength by h