Part 4 (1/2)
Hal and Chester glanced at each other and sht was in the hter”
Alexis noticed the interchange of glances, and the quizzical s in an instant
”You think I won't fight, eh?” he said loudly ”Alexis Vergoff not fight? Ho! Ho!”
He threw back his head and laughed loudly The boys were not iht Hal to himself
Chester was of the same opinion, but he did not say so aloud
”Why,” continued Alexis, ”I've fought more battles than you will ever hear of I have killed twenty ood many,” said Hal softly
”True! True!” shouted Alexis, ”but I'll kill twenty more in the next battle, just to show you You shall see what sort of a off is!”
”I am afraid we shall see too soon,” muttered Chester to hio, before being ordered to the front, that I slew five le-handed!”
”Great Scott!” muttered Hal ”I wish I had not started him He'll never let up now”
”It was at my mother's home,” continued Alexis ”I reached home unexpectedly Five ave them money she kept in the house One had drawn a knife just as I entered the room No one saw me enter, and I was upon them before they knew it
”I picked up the h he had been a child, and threw him bodily upon the other four He had no time to strike at me with his knife or even drop it The other four went down in a heap The knife of the first man was buried in one of his coer to their feet I picked up a lamp that stood on the table This I hurled at another It struck hiainst the head of another Both men went doith cracked skulls The fifthup a knife, I hurled it after him It stuck in his back, and he ran half a mile before he fell down dead The next”You said there were only five, and you have already killed theh in no wise taken aback ”It was in another fight where I killed six ht----”
”Save that for another tihter with difficulty
”Don't you want to hear it?” demanded Alexis in surprise ”I always like to hear a story of a good fight”
”I believe you would rather tell one,” replied Hal
Alexis looked very much crestfallen
”Do you think I made that up?” he asked in consternation ”Why, I can tell you of other fights I have had that----”
”I don't doubt it at all,” said Hal ”I a bow to the Queen's taste”
”Draw the long bow?” repeated Alexis, puzzled ”What do you mean?”
”It wouldn't do forto himself
”Ask someone else”
Alexis turned to Chester