ring his comments. Every stroke, every thrust, gave me insight of his
school, and instinctively my blade leaped forth to turn aside his point.
He was a swordsman, stronger than I, and of longer reach, yet his tricks
were old, and he relied more on strength than subtlety of fence. Our
swords gleamed against each other in the glitter of the stars, both
content with thrust and parry, as we circled, watchful for some opening.
Then, confident I had gauged my man, I began to drive in upon him,
returning thrust for thrust, and trying a trick or two of my own. He
countered with skill, laughing and taunting me, until his jeers made me
fight grimly, with fresh determination to end the affair.

"By God! you have a right pretty thrust from the shoulder," he exclaimed.
"Been out before, I take it. But I'll show you something you never
learned. Odds, I'll call your boy's play!"

"Better hold your breath, for you'll need it now," I replied shortly.
"The boy's play is over with."

Step by step I began sternly to force the fighting, driving my point
against him so relentlessly as to hush his speech. Twice we circled,
striking, countering, fighting, our blades glittering ominously in the
starlight, our breathing labored with the fierceness of the fighting.
Both our swords tasted blood, he slicing my forearm, I piercing his
shoulder, yet neither wound sufficed to bring any cessation of effort. We
were mad now with the fever of it, and struggling to kill, panting
fiercely, our faces flushed, the perspiration dripping from our bodies,
our swords darting swiftly back and forth. He was my match, and more,
and, had we been permitted to go on to the end, would have worn me down
by sheer strength. Suddenly, above the clash of steel, came the sound of
voices; our blades were struck up, and the dark forms of men pressed in
between us.

"Stop it, you hotheads!" some one commanded gruffly. "Hold your man,
Tolston, until I get at the reason for this fighting. Who are you? Oh,
Grant! What's the trouble now? The old thing, eh?"

I had no desire to wait his answer, confident that Grant was sufficiently
angry to blurt out everything he knew. They were all facing his way,
actuated by the recognition. Breathless still, yet quick to seize the one
and only chance left, I grabbed up my jacket from the grass, and sprang
into the darkness. I had gained a hundred feet before those behind
grasped the meaning of my unexpected flight, and then the tumult of
vo