The weekly Butte record., 1861-06-08
The Spectral Duel.

Opening the door, he saw standing in the
moonlit road, travelling carriage, its lamps
brightly burning, and the horses trembling and
painting with fatigue. A footman demanded
of him fresh horses. Rubbing his eyes the
landlord began some sleepy excuse, when the
carriage door opened suddenly, a pale and
handsome face looked out, and a stern voice
commanded him to furnish his best horses
without moments delay. The bewilderd inn
keeper obeyed; the footman sprang up beside
the driver the carriage whirled away into the
night
A few days afterwards the same carriage
crossed the Prussian frontier. The passport as
serted the name to be the Baron Karl Fried
rick Eugen In twenty-four hours it crossed
the Rhine near Coblentz. Never stopping,
this mysterious Baron galloped through Prus-
sia, and in almost incredible shortness of time.
he had disappeared in the dominions of the
Gar. One week afterward the carriage, with
its axle broken, was found in the outscirts of
the wood, upon the road to St. Petersburg.
The accident may have influenced the inten-
tions of the traveller For in June be sailed in
little vessel from Turkish port, for laramie;
he had left Limoges in April. Still travelling
day and night now with one attendant, the
Baron passed through Spain in July. Thus
without apparent aim, he had, in three months,
traversed an immense circle, returning near the
point from which it was evident he must have
started
What meant this unresting journey =
Whether motive of pursuit or fight urged the
traveller on, who could tell? Now toward
Portugal he fed, and no sign of his journey s
end appeared, when suddenly power stronger
than bis will, cried, Halt The Baron was
carried into little roadside inn, delirious with
brain fever
The attendant of the Baron had no sooner
seen his master put sufey into bed, than he
locked himself in the room, giving orders that
no one but the physician should be admitted.
For these orders he declared himself response
BILE to his MASTER with whose wishes he said
they agreed. All offers of assistance, whether
prompted by kindness or curiosity, he declined +;
himself would be sole nurse OF course the
villagers made mystery of the event, and
various were their copjectures.
The first day of the Barons fever, the ply
sician expressed unfavorable opinions of his
recovery. When questioned of his patient, the
doctor, solemnly stroking his beard, could only
reply that he was young man and a hand
some one, appeared to be in great agony, and
talked necessarily in a strange language. No
more could the doctor tell, Sut the innkeepers
wife, who had kept her eye at the crack of the
door, till almost blinded by the draught, de-
clared that when the sick man had cried out
three times, " Wilhelm Wilhelm Wilhelm ="
the servant had leaned bis forehead on the bed.
post and wept. The landlord Immediately run
ming up to make further observation unluckiIy
stumbled, and knocked his head against the
door. He made safe retreat, but when the
landady stealthily applied the other eye to the
crack, she found it thoroughly stopped and
darkened.
1t was noticed, however, that when the meals
were CARED to the room, the servant opening
the door, often betrayed on his pald face the
traces of suffering and tears, and sometimes of
alright. Faint means and broken cries were
heard at night. Day after day the DOCTOR
coming from the room, shook his head, took
snuff, opened his mouth as if to speak, sighed
solemnly, shut it, and silently walked away
But one evening he emerged with great dignity,
condescended to say that all danger was over,
as the patient was conscious, and had requested
to be left alone-which of course no one would
have said to the doctor, unless he felt himself
recovering. While thus relating, the servant
appeared and whispered him few words in
broken Spanish. Let him sleep. Let him
sliced p said the doctor in loud voice, " but
do not forget the pills r' adding in low mys-
terious tone, Beware how you neglect the
powder y The servant hastily returned to the
room, and the doctor lost in contemplations of
his own greatness, frightened the landlord, by
staring steadfastly in his face, still repeating,
"beware how you forget the powder"
To be told that the landlord had not aban-
doned his investigations will surprise no one.
Quietly he had been boring hole in the wall
of the strangers room, bat fearing the noise of
falling plaster would attract attention, had not
had courage to finish it. 1t was greatly to his
delight tnat his mournfu reflections on this
subject were interrupted that night by the
Baron's servant, who gruffly informed him,
that his master being much better, had sent
him out on important service, warning him
against any disturbance of his privacy. By
many saints the innkeeper swore no one should
go near the room, and watching the servant
out of the house, ran up stairs, again applied
his auger, and with fear and trembling pierced
the wall, and saw faint light flash into dark
closet where he lay concealed. Peeping
through, he found to his great joy, that he
could see two shadowy walls, the rudy fire.
place, and the great deer's antlers above it,
hung with rusty swords, cleaning in the fire.
light He scarcely breathed when peerDg
around, he saw the Barons arm hanging out
or he'd q hrioht rino flashing on his thin white