Part 98 (1/2)

Despard flung hihetti He saw his hands torn and bleeding, and blood covering his face and breast A low groan was all that escaped froasped ”Save Bice”

In his grief for Langhetti, thus lying before hiot all else He seized his handkerchief and tried to stanch the blood

”Leave ain ”Bice will be lost” His head, which Despard had supported for a moment, sank back, and life seemed to leave him

Despard started up Now for the first tier; and in an instant understood who he was, and why this had been done

Suddenly, as he started up, he felt his pistol snatched frorasp He turned

It was the horseman--it was Clark--who had stealthily dismounted, and, in his desperate purpose, had tried to ht, leaped upon hile the pistol fell to the ground Despard caught Clark in his aran

Clark was of medium size, thick-set, muscular, robust, and desperate

Despard was tall, but his frame ell knit, his muscles and sineere like iron, and he was inspired by a higher Spirit and a deeper passion

In the first shock of that fierce ele was ht Despard at a disadvantage, and this for a tith effectually

At last he wound one arrasp, and forced his other arm under that of Clark Then with one treth His antagonist gave way before it He reeled

Despard disengaged one arm and dealt him a tremendous blow on the tes about those of the other

At the stroke Clark, who had already staggered, gave way utterly and fell heavily backward, with Despard upon him

The next instant Despard had seized his throat and held hiasped and groaned He struggled to escape from that iron hold in vain The hand which had seized hirasp there, and there in the throat of the fainting, suffocating wretch he held it

The struggles grew fainter, the arms relaxed, the face blackened, the limbs stiffened At last all efforts ceased

Despard then arose, and, turning Clark over on his face, took the bridle from one of the horses, bound his hands behind hile Clark's coat and waistcoat had been torn away, and slipped down to some extent His shi+rt-collar had burst and slipped with them As Despard turned hi struck his eye It was a bright, red scar

He pulled down the shi+rt Aof which he knew not, but could well conjecture There were three brands--fiery red--and these were theshort arrow]

R [sans-serif R]

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CHAPTER LII

FACE TO FACE