The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-01-17
sumterVille South Carolina, january IL, l849.

reeds, and slay it, amid its whelps, Will
no other weapon than this poignard.' t
With these words, the Count drew
I from The girdIe Of a slave Malay poig.
nard, and threw it upon the table.
Have you lost your scnscs2'
'By no means, gentlemen cried the
Count, in tone of bitter scorn, sand in
proof of it repeat my pledge. Listen to
me well, that the man who accepts the
challenge may know TO what he binds
himself. 10 the health Of him, he con-
tinucd, swho shall seek out tho tigrcss
alone, on foot, through the reeds, and sluy
il, amid her whelps, with no other weup.
OIL than this p6ignard!'
Universal silence followed these words,
during which the Count guzed in turn nj
all present; every eye was cast 10 tho
ground.
No one answcrs!' he continued, with
smile. No one ventures to accept nv
challenge? No one has the courage 20 do
honor 10 my plcdge2 Vell. then, / mus,
undertake it myself and i'll do not, YOU
may call mo knave, as now Gull you
cowards! With these words, Bcnzcyal
drained his glass, then sci it calmly upon
the table, and said, as he approached the
door
'Adieu, until tomorrow, gcntlcmcn!'
and with these words he disappeared.
AZ six O'Clock, on tho following morn
ing, tho Count had completed his prcpa.
tlons for the fearful hunt. when his com
panons of the preceding day entered his
chamber to cntrcat him to give up an :un-
dertakng, The result Of which could
not but prove fatal to him; but the
Count would not listen TO them. They
acknowledged the improprie,y Of their
conduct at table the day before. and own
cd that they had behaved hcedlcssly and
rudcly. The Count thanked the gentle
men for their excuses but refused 10 nc
ccept them. He answered, abruptly, that
his principles did not permit him to shed
The, blood Of his fellow-men, and that he
{ rctrnctcd tho epithet which he had applied
70 them, but that nothing could induce
him TO give up his intended adventure.
at the the same lime he invited the gen,lc-
men to mount their horses, assuringtiiem
however, that if they refused 10 honor
him N1th their company, he would go.
alone in search Of the ligress. This do
claration Was uttered in so firm atone,
that no one attempted to oppose his pur-
pose, but oil mounted their horses, in or
der, according 10 agreement, 10 Join the
i Count s NJ the eastern gate5ofs the city.
s&l shn sl, part in stlafce loNsir,l bel
iappoitited
ssi1l ifsd,iKIs Soiinf alone : as With. T
out wcaTor. He was dressed like u
young fnp when he takes his morning ride
III the Bois de Boiougne. The officers
gazcd at each other with astonishment;
no one could believe it possible, that The
Count would perscvcrc in this calmncss
10 the end
When they reached the edge Of the
swamp, the officers made another attempt
10 prevent him from pushing the advcn-
tnrc farther. In the midst Of their cx-
pos,ula,ions, and IS if 10 warn him, loud |
hundred PAGES; the terrified horses began
to plunge and rear.
You ser, Sentlcmcn,' said The Count
'wc arc observed; the animal knows ,ha,
we are here, and upon quitting the East
Indies, which shall probably never visit
again, | do no, wish to leave an nnfayora-
bic opinion behind mc-cvcn with IL
grcss. Forward, gcnlcmcnn
With these words the Count struck tho
spurs into his horses sides, in order 10
pass along the edge Of the swamp and
reach the hill, from the SUNNI, Of which
they could see over the reeds which hid
the tigrcss and her whclps.
When they had reached the foot of the
hill, second roar was heard, but now SO
loud and near that one Of the horses star
tied aside, and almost threw his rider
from the saddle; The others, with fonming
mouths, dilnlcd nosiri!s, fixed and glaring
eyes, trcmbcd in every limb. The en-
tire party now aisnounlcd and gave their
horses into the hands Of the slaves; the
Count was the first to clnmcr up the hill.
From its summit he could follow the
tracks of tho wild beast through the crush
cd reeds. Paths, about two fec, in width,
were broken amid the tall stems, and, as
the officers had said, all led towards n
common centre, where the reeds were
trampled down, leaving q spot Of bare
earth. Another roar from this direction
dissipalcd all doubt, and BcnZcval now
knew where TO find his enemy.
The oldest the officers once more ap.
preached the Count, bu, the latter divin-
ing his intention, ,motioncd him coldly away
with his hand. lie then bu,toncd his coat
and requested one Of his cousins to lend
him the silk sash that was tasted about his
waist, in order to wrap il around his left
arm; he then beckoncd the Malay to reach
him his poignard, and directed the latter