The Huguenot Bartholomew Dupuy and his descendants

STORY OF A HUGUENOT'S SWORD. 119
men coming. There he comes! bar up securely, Chap. I .
wife, and open to no one!" ^jjg
With these words Dupuy seized his triangularWounded
sword, and vaulting into the saddle, disappeared at ^°^^full
gallop upon Jarnilloc's track. In fifteen minutes,
such was the speed at which he advanced, the
figure of his adversary came in sight. Five minutes
more brought him abreast of the dragoon, beneath
the drooping boughs.
"Turn, wretch !" cried Dupuy, drawing his sword.
"You dared to insult my wife, myself, my friends.
'You shall die! Defend yourself!"
And he threw himself upon the captain of dragoons,
aiming a blow at his heart,
Jarnilloc was brave, but the fury of Dupuy cowed
him; he struck out almost at random, and the
weapon of the soldier glided under his guard, and
pierced his breast. The point of Jarnilloc's sword
drew blood from Dupuy's arm, but the combat was
over in a moment—
though the dragoon's wound
was not mortal,
"In fair combat you will testify, Messire," said
Dupuy, putting up his sword and saluting his ad-
\ersary, who retained the saddle with cTifiiculty.
"I will not murder you, as you would me, under
similar circumstances. If you annoy me further,
however, Messire, I will kill you like a dog!"
And the soldier turned his horse and rode back
to his chateau.
"That will break up the pursuit, I think," he muttered,
"and I can not leave Susanne alone, with
these fiends about, I must hasten my arrangements,
the country is getting too hot for me. Pray
God that Jacques and his family may arrive safely
at Tremblade!"
An hour afterward Jarnilloc passed the gateway
of the chateau, supported in the saddle by two
troopers. As he continued his way, an expression
of ferocious hatred, impossible to describe, distorted
his pale features, and his red eyes glared, Dupuy