Montfort took the other.
"Ready?" cried the American youth.
"Ready!" answered the Frenchman.
Clash!--the swords came together and there on the deck of the burning
steamer the strange duel began.
Frank fought with all the coolness and skill he could command. He fought
as if he had been standing on solid ground instead of the deck of a ship
that might be blown into a thousand fragments at any moment.
The Frenchman had fancied that the Yankee would prove easy to conquer,
but he soon discovered Frank possessed no little skill, and he saw that
he must do his best.
More than once Montfort thrust to run Frank through the body, and once
his sword passed between the youth's left arm and his side.
Merry saw that the Frenchman really meant to kill him if possible.
Then men were getting into the boat. There were but few seconds left in
which to finish the duel. Rattleton called to him from the, boat,
shouting above the roar of the wind:
"Finish him, Frank! Come on, now! Lively!"
The tip of Montfort's sword slit Frank's sleeve and touched his arm.
"Next time I get you!" hissed the vindictive Frenchman.
But right then Frank saw his opportunity. He made a lunge and drove his
sword into the Frenchman's side.
Montfort uttered a cry, dropped his sword, flung up his hands, and sunk
bleeding to the deck.
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