The Colonel of the Red Huzzars eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 281 pages of information about The Colonel of the Red Huzzars.

The Colonel of the Red Huzzars eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 281 pages of information about The Colonel of the Red Huzzars.

For an instant, I feared he would heed her and go—­and that would have obliged me to become the aggressor; which I much preferred not to be.

“A coward!” he laughed—­and looked at me.  “You hear that, monsieur:  a coward.”  Then he put his hand on her arm.  “You are quite right, my dear, it is poor sport,” he said.  “Yet, stay a moment longer.  I shall forego the other cuts and tear off his mask, instead.”

“And permit him to wear a sword?” she mocked.  “Surely, not!  Why don’t you break it?”

“A charming suggestion—­thank you.—­You hear my Lady’s wish, Monsieur le Coquin,” he said to me, and presenting his blade at my breast.  “Will you yield your sword or shall I be obliged to take it from you?”

At last, Lotzen had driven me to action, in pointing his sword at my breast.  If he touched it my steel vest would be disclosed, at once; and that was not to my mind.  It would explain the failure of his bravo’s dagger.  More than that I did not care for.  Doubtless, he was wearing one himself at that very moment.  One usually ascribes to his enemy methods similar to one’s own—­and, as Lotzen dealt in assassination, he would expect me to do the same.

I waited a moment.  Then, stepping quickly out of reach, I drew my own sword.

“Here it is, my Lord,” I said.  “Which end will you take?”

“The only end that you can give me, monsieur—­the hilt,” was the answer.

“Come and get it, then,” I drawled.

He turned to the Gypsy.

“Will mademoiselle pardon me,” he said.

“Will you be long?” she asked.

“Only a moment.  I’ll make it very short.”

“I’ll wait,” she said carelessly.

He bowed to her—­and then faced me.

“Has Monsieur le Coquin any particular spot in which he prefers to receive my point?” he asked.

“None, my Lord,” I answered; “I shall leave that to your own good taste.”

Merci, monsieur, merci!” he said, and saluted.  “Yet, I may not be outdone in generosity.  Therefore, in exchange for your hilt, monsieur, you shall have the whole length of my blade in your heart.”

“That, my Lord, is on the Knees of the Gods,” I said.

Then our swords fell to talking and our tongues were still.

[Illustration:  Then our swords fell to talking in the garden of the masked ball.]

The turf was free of brush or trees; and, as I have already said, the illumination was so arranged that, practically, there were no shadows.  The Garden seemed almost as bright as day; indeed, save that the light was white, we might, just as well, have been duelling at noon-tide as at midnight.

It had not been hard to gather, from Lotzen’s last remarks to his companion, what sort of a fight he proposed making; and, after the usual preliminary testing of strength, I contented myself with the simplest sort of defence and awaited the main attack.

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The Colonel of the Red Huzzars from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.