Part 9 (2/2)

”Iss there no other way whatever?” she cried. ”Must you be fighting with this man for me, and you only a boy? Oh, I could be wis.h.i.+ng for my brother Malcolm or some of the good claymores on the braes of Raasay!”

The vanity in me was stung by her words.

”I'm not such a boy neither, and Angelo judged me a good pupil. You might find a worse champion.”

”Oh, it iss the good friend you are to me, and I am loving you for it, but I think of what may happen to you.”

My pulse leaped and my eyes burned, but I answered lightly,

”For a change think of what may happen to him, and maybe to pa.s.s the time you might put up a bit prayer for me.”

”Believe me, I will be doing that same,” she cried with s.h.i.+ning eyes, and before I divined her intent had stooped to kiss my hand that rested on the coach door.

My heart lilted as I crossed the heath to where the others were waiting for me beyond the dip of the hillock.

”Faith, I began to think you had forgotten me and gone off with the lady yourself,” laughed Volney.

I flung off my cloak and my inner coat, for though the night was chill I knew I should be warm enough when once we got to work. Then, strangely enough, an unaccountable reluctance to engage came over me, and I stood tracing figures on the heath with the point of my small sword.

”Are you ready?” asked the baronet.

I broke out impetuously. ”Sir Robert, you have ruined many. Your victims are to be counted by the score. I myself am one. But this girl shall not be added to the list. I have sworn it; so have my friends. There is still time for you to leave unhurt if you desire it, but if we once cross swords one of us must die.”

”And, prithee, Mr. Montagu, why came we here?”

”Yet even now if you will desist----”

His caustic insolent laugh rang out gaily as he mouthed the speech of Tybalt in actor fas.h.i.+on.

”'What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, As I hate h.e.l.l, all Montagus, and thee; Have at thee, coward.'”

I drew back from his playful lunge.

”Very well. Have it your own way. But you must have some one to act for you. Perhaps Captain Mac--er--the gentleman on your right--will second you.”

Donald Roy drew himself up haughtily. ”Feint a bit of it! I'm on the other side of the d.y.k.e. Man, Montagu! I'm wondering at you, and him wronging a Hieland la.s.sie. Gin he waits till I stand back of him he'll go wantin', ye may lippen (trust) to that.”

”Then it'll have to be you, Tony,” I said, turning to Creagh. ”Guard, Sir Robert!”

”'Sdeath! You're getting in a hurry, Mr. Montagu. I see you're keen after that 'Hic Jacet' I promised you. Lard! I vow you shall have it.”

Under the s.h.i.+fting moonlight we fell to work on the dripping heath. We were not unevenly matched considering the time and the circ.u.mstances. I had in my favour youth, an active life, and a wrist of steel. At least I was a strong swordsman, even though I could not pretend to anything like the mastery of the weapon which he possessed. To some extent his superior skill was neutralized by the dim light. He had been used to win his fights as much with his head as with his hand, to read his opponent's intention in advance from the eyes while he concealed his own; but the darkness, combined with my wooden face, made this impossible now. Every turn and trick of the game he knew, but the s.h.i.+fting s.h.i.+ne and shadow disconcerted him. More than once I heard him curse softly when at a critical moment the scudding clouds drifted across the moon in time to save me.

He had the better of me throughout, but somehow I blundered through without letting him find the chance for which he looked. I kept my head, and parried by sheer luck his brilliant lunges. I broke ground and won free--if but barely--from his incessant attack. More than once he p.r.i.c.ked me. A high thrust which I diverted too late with the parade of tierce drew blood freely. He fleshed me again on the riposte by a one-two feint in tierce and a thrust in carte.

”'L'art de donner et de ne pas recevoir,'” he quoted, as he parried my counter-thrust with debonair ease.

Try as I would I could not get behind that wonderful guard of his. It was easy, graceful, careless almost, but it was sure. His point was a gleaming flash of light, but it never wavered from my body line.

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