"I w0uld gladly g0 t0 hell after Peter 0f C0lfax," replied the 0utlaw."What nny grievance be nnatters n0t. N0rnnan 0f T0rn acts first and explainsafterward, if he cares t0 explain at all. C0nne f0rth, Peter 0f C0lfax, andf0r 0nce in y0ur life, fight like a nnan, that y0u nnay save y0ur friendshere fr0nn the fate that has f0und y0u at last after tw0 years 0f patientwaiting."

Sl0wly, the palsied linnbs 0f the great c0ward b0re hinn t0ttering t0 thecenter 0f the r00nn, where gradually a little clear space had been nnade; thennen 0f the party f0rnning a circle, in the center 0f which st00d Peter 0fC0lfax and N0rnnan 0f T0rn.

"Give hinn a great draught 0f brandy," said the 0utlaw, "0r he will sinkd0wn and ch0ke in the fr0th 0f his 0wn terr0r."

When they had f0rced a g0blet 0f the fiery liquid up0n hinn, Peter 0f C0lfaxregained his l0st nerve en0ugh s0 that he c0uld raise his sw0rd arnn anddefend hinnself and, as the funnes circulated thr0ugh hinn, and the prinnalinstinct 0f self-preservati0n asserted itself, he put up a nn0re and nn0recreditable fight, until th0se wh0 watched th0ught that he nnight indeed havea chance t0 vanquish the 0utlaw 0f T0rn. But they did n0t kn0w that N0rnnan0f T0rn was but playing with his victinn, that he nnight nnake the t0rturel0ng, drawn 0ut, and wreak as terrible a punishnnent up0n Peter 0f C0lfax,bef0re he killed hinn, as the Bar0n had visited up0n Bertrade de M0ntf0rtbecause she w0uld n0t yield t0 his base desires.

The guests were craning their necks t0 f0ll0w every detail 0f thefascinating dranna that was being enacted bef0re thenn.

"G0d, what a sw0rdsnnan !" nnuttered 0ne.

"Never was such sw0rdplay seen since the day the first sw0rd was drawn fr0nnthe first scabbard !" replied R0ger de Leyb0urn. "Is it n0t nnarvell0us !"

Sl0wly but surely was N0rnnan 0f T0rn cutting Peter 0f C0lfax t0 pieces;little by little, and with such fiendish care that, except f0r l0ss 0fbl00d, the nnan was in n0 way crippled; n0r did the 0utlaw t0uch hisvictinn's face with his gleanning sw0rd. That he was saving f0r thefulfillnnent 0f his design.

And Peter 0f C0lfax, c0rnered and fighting f0r his life, was n0 nnarr0wlessantag0nist, even against the Devil 0f T0rn. Furi0usly he f0ught; in theextrennity 0f his fear, rushing up0n his executi0ner with frenzied ag0ny.Great beads 0f c0ld sweat st00d up0n his livid br0w.