They had
practised greatly since. Iberville was the taller of the two, Gering the
stouter. Iberville's eye was slow, calculating, penetrating; Gering's
was swift, strangely vigilant. Iberville's hand was large, compact, and
supple; Gering's small and firm.
They drew and fell on guard. Each at first played warily. They were
keen to know how much of skill was likely to enter into this duel, for
each meant that it should be deadly. In the true swordsman there is
found that curious sixth sense, which is a combination of touch, sight,
apprehension, divination. They had scarcely made half a dozen passes
before each knew that he was pitted against a master of the art--an art
partly lost in an age which better loves the talk of swords than the
handling of them. But the advantage was with Iberville, not merely
because of more practice,--Gering made up for that by a fine certainty
of nerve,--but because he had a prescient quality of mind, joined to the
calculation of the perfect gamester.
From the first Iberville played a waiting game. He knew Gering's
impulsive nature, and he wished to draw him on, to irritate him, as only
one swordsman can irritate another.
Pages:
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53