by John Fox
XVII
Nor did he. Within half an hour Barbara, passing through the hall, sawthat the rapiers were gone from the wall and she stopped, with the colorfled from her face and her hand on her heart. At that moment Ephraimdashed in from the kitchen.
"Miss Barbary, somebody gwine to git killed. I was wukkin' in de olefield an' Marse Grey rid by cussin' to hisself. Jist now Marse Erskinewent tearin' by de landin' wid a couple o' swords under his arm." Hiseyes too went to the wall. "Yes, bless Gawd, dey's gone!" Barbara flewout the door.
In a few moments she had found Harry and Hugh. Even while their horseswere being saddled her father rode up.
"It's murder," cried Harry, "and Grey knows it. Erskine knows nothingabout a rapier."
Without a word Colonel Dale wheeled his tired horse and soon Harry andHugh dashed after him. Barbara walked back to the house, wringing herhands, but on the porch she sat quietly in the agony of waiting that wasthe role of women in those days.
Meanwhile, at a swift gallop Firefly was skimming along the river road.Grey had kept his word and more: he had not only ridden slowly but hehad stopped and was waiting at an oak-tree that was a corner-stonebetween two plantations.
"That I may not kill you on your own land," he said.
Erskine started. "The consideration is deeper than you know."
They hitched their horses, and Erskine followed into a pleasant glade--agrassy glade through which murmured a little stream. Erskine dropped therapiers on the sward.
"Take your choice," he said.
"There is none," said Grey, picking up the one nearer to him. "I knowthem both." Grey took off his coat while Erskine waited. Grey made theusual moves of courtesy and still Erskine waited, wonderingly, with thepoint of the rapier on the ground.
"When you are ready," he said, "will you please let me know?"
"Ready!" answered Grey, and he lunged forward. Erskine merely whipped athis blade so that the clang of it whined on the air to thebreaking-point and sprang backward. He was as quick as an eyelash andlithe as a panther, and yet Grey almost laughed aloud. All Erskine didwas to whip the thrusting blade aside and leap out of danger like aflash of light. It was like an inexpert boxer flailing according torules unknown--and Grey's face flamed and actually turned anxious. Then,as a kindly fate would have it, Erskine's blade caught in Grey's guardby accident, and the powerful wrist behind it seeking merely to wrenchthe weapon loose tore Grey's rapier from his grasp and hurled it tenfeet away. There is no greater humiliation for the expert swordsman, andnot for nothing had Erskine suffered the shame of that long-ago day whena primitive instinct had led him to thrusting his knife into this sameenemy's breast. Now, with his sword's point on the earth, he waitedcourteously for Grey to recover his weapon.
Again a kindly fate intervened. Even as Grey rushed for his sword,Erskine heard the beat of horses' hoofs. As he snatched it from theground and turned, with a wicked smile over his grinding teeth, cameHarry's shout, and as he rushed for Erskine, Colonel Dale swung from hishorse. The sword-blades clashed, Erskine whipping back and forth in away to make a swordsman groan--and Colonel Dale had Erskine by the wristand was between them.
"How dare you, sir?" cried Grey hotly.
"Just a moment, young gentleman," said Colonel Dale calmly.
"Let us alone, Uncle Harry--I----"
"Just a moment," repeated the colonel sternly. "Mr. Grey, do you thinkit quite fair that you with your skill should fight a man who knowsnothing about foils?"
"There was no other way," Grey said sullenly.
"And you could not wait, I presume?" Grey did not answer.
"Now, hear what I have to say, and if you both do not agree, the matterwill be arranged to your entire satisfaction, Mr. Grey. I have but onequestion to ask. Your country is at war. She needs every man for herdefense. Do you not both think your lives belong to your country andthat it is selfish and unpatriotic just now to risk them in any othercause?" He waited for his meaning to sink in, and sink it did.
The sword blades clashed, Erskine whipping back andforth in a way to make a swordsman groan]
"Colonel Dale, your nephew grossly insulted me, and your daughter showedme the door. I made no defense to him nor to her, but I will to you. Imerely repeated what I had been told and I believed it true. Now that Ihear it is not true, I agree with you, sir, and I am willing to expressmy regrets and apologies."
"That is better," said Colonel Dale heartily, and he turned to Erskine,but Erskine was crying hotly:
"And I express neither."
"Very well," sneered Grey coldly. "Perhaps we may meet when yourrelatives are not present to protect you."
"Uncle Harry----" Erskine implored, but Grey was turning toward his horse.
"After all, Colonel Dale is right."
"Yes," assented Erskine helplessly, and then--"it is possible that weshall not always be on the same side."
"So I thought," returned Grey with lifted eyebrows, "when I heard what Idid about you!" Both Harry and Hugh had to catch Erskine by an arm then,and they led him struggling away. Grey mounted his horse, lifted hishat, and was gone. Colonel Dale picked up the swords.
"Now," he said, "enough, of all this--let it be forgotten."
And he laughed.
"You'll have to confess, Erskine--he has a quick tongue and you mustthink only of his temptation to use it."
Erskine did not answer.
As they rode back Colonel Dale spoke of the war. It was about to moveinto Virginia, he said, and when it did---- Both Harry and Hughinterrupted him with a glad shout:
"We can go!" Colonel Dale nodded sadly.
Suddenly all pulled their horses in simultaneously and raised theireyes, for all heard the coming of a horse in a dead run. Around athicketed curve of the road came Barbara, with her face white and herhair streaming behind her. She pulled her pony in but a few feet infront of them, with her burning eyes on Erskine alone.
"Have you killed him--have you killed him? If you have--" She stoppedhelpless, and all were so amazed that none could answer. Erskine shookhis head. There was a flash of relief in the girl's white face, itsrecklessness gave way to sudden shame, and, without a word, she wheeledand was away again--Harry flying after her. No one spoke. Colonel Dalelooked aghast and Erskine's heart again turned sick.