tacking a
gentleman who, with his back to the coach, was defending himself
calmly and valiantly.

As he rode up Rupert unbuttoned his riding cloak, and threw it off
as he reined up his horse and dismounted. An execration broke from
the assailants at seeing this new arrival, but perceiving that he
was alone, one of the four men advanced to attack him.

Just as Rupert leapt from his horse, the man holding the torch
completed the loading of his pistol, and levelling it at him,
fired. The ball knocked off his hat just as he touched the ground,
and the man shouted:

"Kill him, Gervais. Spit him like a lark; he is only a boy."

Rupert drew his sword as the highwayman advanced upon him, and was
in a moment hotly engaged. Never before had he fenced with pointed
rapiers; but the swords had scarcely crossed when he felt, with the
instinct of a good fencer, how different were the clumsy thrusts of
his opponent to the delicate and skillful play of his grandfather
and Monsieur Dessin. There was no time to lose in feints and
flourishes; the man with the torch had drawn his sword, and was
coming up; and Rupert parried a thrust of his assailant's, and with
a rapid lunge in tierce ran him right through the body. Then with a
bound he dashed through the men attacking the traveller, and took
his stand beside him, while the torchbearer, leaving his torch
against a stump of a tree, also joined the combat.

Beyond a calm "I thank you, sir; your arrival is most opportune,"
from the traveller, not a word passed as the swords clashed and
ground against each other.

"Dash in, and finish him," shouted the man who appeared the leader
of the assailants, and three of them rushed together at the
traveller. The leader fell back cursing, with a sword thrust
through his shoulder, just at the moment when Rupert sent the sword
of the man who was attacking him flying through the air, and
turning at once, engaged one of the two remaining assailants of the
traveller. But these had had enough of it; and as the lackeys came
running up, they turned, and rushed away into the darkness. The
lackeys at Rupert's order discharged their pistols after them; but
a moment later the sound of four horses making off at full gallop,
showed that they had escaped.

"By my faith," the traveller said, turning to Rupert, and holding
out his hand, "no knight errant ever arrived more opportunely. You
are a gallant gentleman, sir; permit me to ask to whom I am so
indebted?