thought in my eyes, for his face flushed to a yet darker crimson, he
pulled himself together with an effort, and by a trick which I had never
seen, got inside my guard. His point was at my breast, but I leaped back
and avoided it.

"Ah, you break!" he cried. "'Tis not so easy as you fancied!"

I did not answer, contenting myself with playing more cautiously than I
had done in my self-satisfaction of a moment before. Out of the corners
of my eyes, I could see a portion of the circle of white faces about us,
but they made no sound, and what their expression was I could not tell.
The night air and the fast work were doing much to sober my opponent, and
I felt his wrist grow stronger as he held down my point for an instant.
It was his turn to smile, and I felt my cheeks redden at the expression
of his face. Again he got inside my guard, but again I was out of reach
ere he could touch me. I saw that I was making but a sorry showing, and I
tried the thrust of which I had had the bad taste to boast, but he turned
it aside quite easily. And then, of a sudden, I heard the beat of a
horse's hoofs behind me.

"For shame, gentlemen!" cried a clear voice, which rang familiar in my
ears. "Can the king's soldiers find no enemies to his empire that they
must fight among themselves?"

Our seconds struck up our swords, and Allen looked over my shoulder
with a curse.

"Another damned provincial, upon my life!" he cried. "Was there ever such
impudence!"