The Argosy, Vol. XXV, No. 1 — page 79: what you’re looking at

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

BY RIGHT OF SWORD. 79 know they have been together in more than one very dirty affair. But this would be murder—sheer, deliberate, damnable murder—and nothing else.”’ I had rarely seen him so excited as he was now. © ‘You think Devinsky has brought this man here to do what he couldn’t do himself the other morning?’’ I asked. ‘“T don’t say I think it,’’ replied Essaieff cautiously. ‘‘I shouldn’t like to think it of any man; but if I were you I’d be a bit cautious about getting into a quarrel.’’ ° Caution be hanged,’’ Icried. ‘‘If that’s their game I’ll force the pace for them. We'll have a real fight next time, Essaieff. But I’ll have one condition, and one only—that Devinsky meets me first.’’ ‘“What a fire devil you’ve turned, Alexis,’’ said Essaieff enthusiastically. It was the first time he had used my Christian name, and it pleased me. ‘““Kven the rankers have found you out now. . ‘That devil, Alexis,’ is what they call you one to the other, since you beat their best men in leaping, and running, and staff playing. If the war comes, as like good Russians we pray it may, what a record you’ll make. ‘They’ll follow you anywhere. - Yet, there’s shrewdness enough in your last devilment. If you insist on first killing Devinsky, Durescq will probably take back a bloodless sword to the capital. His pithy reference to the feeling in the regiment touched my vanity on its weak spot, and gave me quite disproportionate pleasure. As we talked over this possible plan of Devinsky’s I tried to get him to speak of the feel- ing again. It is rather a paltry confession to make; but the nickname, ‘That devil, Alexis,’ was exactly what I would have wished to bear. Although Essaieff had suggested this action on the part of Devinsky, I scarcely thought it possible that he would do what we had discussed ; but I had not been many minutes in the club that evening before the thing seemed not only probable, but certain; and I saw that I had a very ugly corner to turn. Alexandre Durescq was there, and I eyed him curiously. He was taller than I by an inch, but not so broad. His figure was well knit and lithe, and he moved with the air which a man gets whose sinews are of steel and are kept in perfect condition by constant and severe training. His face was a most unpleasant one. ‘The features were thin and all very long; and the thinness added to the apparent abnormal length from brow to chin. His complexion was almost Mongolian in its sallowness ; his hair coal black, and his eyes, set close to his large and very prominent aqui- line nose, were small but brilliant in expression and seemingly coal black in color. Altogether a most remarkable looking man ; and I was not astonished that Essaieff had been surprised when I said I had forgotten him. He was not a man to be forgotten. The expression of his face was sardonic and saturnine, and his manners and gestures were all saturated with intense self assertiveness. He moved, looked, and spoke as though he felt that every one was at once beneath him and afraid of him. He was at the far end of the room when I entered, and I saw Devinsky stoop CoOTpmiclaoolK< (S@)