Part 13 (2/2)

The men stared. This was a turn in the affair they had not antic.i.p.ated, but they were evidently prepared to meet the emergency.

”Who will act as this fellow's second?” asked Girard.

”You need not trouble yourselves, gentlemen.”

”Oh, no, you must have a second. Although you are not ent.i.tled to any consideration this affair shall be conducted as though you were really a gentleman. Thatford, will you act as the fellow's second?”

”I must respectfully decline,” said Thatford. ”I am not acting as second in an affair of honor for a low-bred spy and sneak.”

The lackey meantime had prepared himself for the affray, and Girard had produced two dueling swords. It looked serious indeed, but there was also an element of farce in the whole affair.

”I will excuse Mr. Thatford from acting as my second.”

”Will you accept me?” demanded Girard.

”No, I will not accept you. I antic.i.p.ated that you fellows might be part of a gang of thieves and I prepared to meet you. No, no, gentlemen, you have not got this all your own way. I do not propose to be murdered like a caged rat, I a.s.sure you.”

The men glared. There had come a complete change over our hero, and indeed Oscar had laid out his whole campaign.

”You fellows are thieves,” he said, ”thieves and murderers. I believe you are the parties who murdered a young man who has been missing for some months, and I further believe he was made a victim in some such way as you planned to make a victim of me; but, my dear rascals, I won't have it.”

The men began to a.s.sume menacing att.i.tudes, while exchanging glances.

It was evident they were surprised, but a greater surprise was in store for them as our hero exclaimed:

”The opening act is over. We will now bring on the tragedy.”

Oscar stamped his foot, the door opened, and to the surprise of the men a boyish-looking youth stepped in the room. Indeed they did stare, and Oscar said:

”See, I antic.i.p.ated your moves. Here is my second; this young man will see that I have fair play.”

Girard here spoke up and demanded:

”Who are you? How dare you enter my house uninvited and unannounced?”

The youth a.s.sumed a merry demeanor and said:

”I thought there was going to be some fun here and I dropped in; that's all. I like a fight--a good square fight.”

The men were evidently unmanned. There was something going on that they evidently did not understand. They were very shrewd men--great schemers.

They believed they had played a good trick, but suddenly there came a change in their belief. There had followed a succession of strange and remarkable developments which they did not understand. The mystery paralyzed them; the boldness of the move terrorized them. Indeed, Thatford, who was usually a pretty nervy man, edged toward the door, but Oscar called out:

”Hold on, mister, don't go. Remember this lackey here was to afford you some excellent amus.e.m.e.nt. He looks as though he were just the man to keep his word. He shall keep it, and afford you the amus.e.m.e.nt he promised. I will aid him. See, he is all ready; he is stripped for the fun. I do not need to strip. Give him a sword, give me a sword and we'll have gore; yes, we'll have gore. I will punish him, and then, gentlemen, I will be prepared to mix the gore. Yes, we shall have lots of amus.e.m.e.nt; it will be a roaring farce.”

One of the men appeared to recover his nerve and said:

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