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Read Ebook: Frank Merriwell's Endurance; or A Square Shooter by Standish Burt L
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Ebook has 3400 lines and 78944 words, and 68 pages
There was a strange, half-hidden smile on Bart's lips as he turned to their host.
"Let the man talk," he said, in a low tone. "Before he is through Merry will give him the call. You may not believe it, but I doubt if the Frenchman can tell Frank anything new about fencing."
"Oh, L'Estrange is a graduate of Joinville-le-Pont, the great government school of France."
Morton said this as if it settled a point, and Hodge knew the man thought him presuming in fancying Frank's information on fencing was to be compared with that of the great French master of the art.
In the meantime, all his enthusiasm aroused, L'Estrange ardently continued:
"You speak of ze brain, sare. When you fence, ze brain ees prompted to act without a moment of ze hesitation. To hesitate means to make ze failure. Ze fencer must be readee with hees wit, skill, and action, like ze flash of lightning. So ze fencer fits himself for ze struggle of life. He is full of ze resource, he is queek to detec' ze strength or ze weakness, of an argument or situation, and he acts like electricity, sweeft and unerring. Zis make him a bettair business man zan other men."
"Every word of this is true," nodded Merry.
"In societee he is at perfect ease; in business he can stand ze great strain. His blood ees fresh, his tissues are firm and he has ze grand enthusiasm."
"And enthusiasm is absolutely necessary for a man to make the best of himself," said Frank. "The man who goes at any task with indifference is inviting failure. No matter how well he may think he knows his work, he must keep up his enthusiasm unless he is willing to see that work deteriorate. Lack of enthusiasm causes thousands to fail and fall by the wayside every year."
"True, true, sare. I see you have ze enthusiasm of ze boy steel with you. You have nevare met with anything to dull eet."
"Not yet; and I hope I never may."
"That was fine work," agreed Frank.
"Not yet you are too old to acquire ze skeel. You know a leetale about eet now. That help you. Find ze French master and keep at eet. Take no one but ze French master. Ze Italian style is not so good. That has been proved many time. Ze Frenchman is cool and he stands on guard with ease. Ze Italian he will move all ze time. He jump here, there, everywhere. He crouch, he stand straight, he dodge. Every minute he seem ready to jump. He makes strange sounds in hees throat; but he is not dangerous as he seem. Did you ever hear of Jean Louis?"
"Yes; he was a famous French duelist."
"How about duels at German colleges, like Leipzig and Heidelberg?"
"Oh, no, no, no! The German have a mixture of ze French and ze Italian method. Zey are fightaires, but zey count on ze strength, too. Years ago fencing was ze study paramount at ze great German colleges; but too manee students they are killed at eet. Ze most peaceable never was he sure of his life for one day. Later ze method change, and now eet is to cut and scar ze face of ze adversary. Ze German never have ze grace of ze French.
Hodge made a protesting sound in his throat; but again Frank shot Bart a glance of warning.
"I shall be delighted to witness the work of Mr. Darleton," said Merry. "It has been some time since I have fenced, Monsieur L'Estrange, and I know I must be very rusty at it; but you have reawakened my enthusiasm for the sport, and I feel like taking up the foils again. If I were to remain in Omaha any length of time, I would seek to become one of your pupils."
L'Estrange bowed with graciousness.
"Eet would give me pleasure to instruct you, sare," he said. "Eet would give me delight to show you ze real superiority of ze duelist, ze fencer, over ze athlete. You watch ze work of Fred Darleton to-night. Eet will delight you."
As Morton led them away, he said:
"You got off easy, Merriwell. Once get L'Estrange aroused and he can talk a blue streak about fencing for hours. He's really a wizard with the foils, and this fellow Darleton, of whom he spoke, is likewise a wonder. Darleton is not popular with many members in the club; but I believe that is because of his remarkable skill at cards."
"He is a successful card player, is he?" questioned Frank.
"Altogether too successful. He makes his spending money at the game."
"What game."
"Poker."
"Do you permit gambling for stakes in this club?"
"It is permitted," confessed Morton, flushing slightly. "Of course gambling is not open here. We have a private card room for those who wish to play for stakes."
Merry said nothing more, but he was thinking that the practice of gambling was a bad thing for any organization of that sort. It was not his place, however, to express such an opinion.
A short time later Merry and Bart were fitted out with foils, masks, and plastrons, and they prepared for a bout, both eager to discover if they retained their old-time skill at the art.
THRUST AND RIPOSTE.
That Frank retained all his old-time skill he soon demonstrated. Hodge was not in bad form, but Merry was far and away his superior, and he toyed with Bart.
Morton looked on in some surprise.
"Why, say," he cried, "both of you chaps know the game all right! You could cut some ice at it."
Bart smiled.
"I could have told you that Merry knew it," he said.
"L'Estrange could make an expert of him," declared Morton.
"Perhaps he might surprise L'Estrange," said Hodge.
"I think he would," nodded the host, without detecting Bart's real meaning.
Frank and Bart went at it again. In the midst of the bout two young men sauntered up and paused, watching them with interest.
"Why," said one, "they really know how to fence, Fred!"
"That's right," nodded the other. "They are not novices."
Morton quickly stepped to the side of the two.
"These are my guests, gentlemen," he said.
"Yes, that one there is Frank Merriwell."
"Introduce me when they are through. I am interested in him as an athlete, although I may not be as a fencer. Evidently he thinks himself pretty clever at this trick, but his form is not correct, and he makes a number of false moves."
Bart Hodge heard these words distinctly, and he lowered his foil, turning to survey the speaker.
"You see, Darleton!" muttered Morton resentfully. "They have heard you!"
Darleton shrugged his shoulders.
To cover his confusion, Morton hastened to introduce Darleton and his companion, Grant Hardy, to Frank and Bart.
"Mr. Darleton," said Merry, "glad to know you. I've just been hearing about you from your fencing instructor."
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