Under Fire: A Tale of the Shenandoah Valley — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

70 THE PURSUIT AND RESULT. The horses moved responsive to the manuevres of their riders. Both were well trained to the service. “Curse you!’’? exclaimed Trafton, after another vain lunge. “Colonel, you’re in my power. I could have cut you down several times,’’ said Royal, coolly throwing aside another desperate stroke. ‘‘You cannot touch me in your present state of excitement. Desist and go your way. I have no wish to even wound you.” “Never!?’ yelled Trafton. ‘*I shall kill you!’ ‘‘You are wasting your strength to no purpose, colonel. Were you less furious, you could perceive that I’m immensely your superior with the sword. It is simply folly on your part. Draw off,’ he continued, impatiently, ‘‘or in self-defense I may seriously dis- able you!”’ | But T'rafton was insanely furious at his failure to even wound his antagonist, and consqeuently was be- yond the sense of reason. Chetwood had failed twice to disarm his antagonist with skillful twists of the sabres; but now he saw he must settle the affray at once without further argu- ment. So he took the offensive at once, beat down ‘Traf- ton’s guard, pierced his ‘vrist; and thus caused him to drop his sword. The colonel now realized his extreme peril, and turned pale as death. But Royal never intended to follow up his advan- tage. bs | He simply wheeled his horse about to dash away, when a quivering blast smote upon the air. It was the note of a bugle. _ The next moment a large party of mounted men dashed into the road ahead. They wore the Confederate gray! © | e ~~ ~*~ comicbooks.co