The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-10-02
NO.. a..

knife The horses dashed forward, bound
ing and prancing.
At the end Of fifty yards they we're draw
ing only the wreck of the carriage, the toss
ing of which made them furious.
The fire commenced leapins through tho
broken windows of Benoit's house.
Towah stopped down to look at his moca-
sins. the sign that his vengeance was satisfied,
He drank a second draught OF brandy, and
threw away the rest
His high form Strengthened itself-his swell
lin. breast uttered fierce sound Slowly, and
with erect head, he descended to the city.
CHAPTER XVIIl.-AN AMERICAN DUEL.
1t was 6 O'Clock In the morning. The sky
was cloudy and dark and the plain was plung-
ed in obscurity. Here aud there some isola-
ted trees looked like phantonis.
A carriage came along tue Lille road with
two good horses iu gallop. The doors Of the
carriage were closed. ~-.~,
Observation-Disclosures 4AaharTillisrs,
which tie coachman left upon his right, o
bridge crossed the Brook Of Montfort. He
stopped the carriage at the head Of the bridge,
and the door opened.
Keep on" ordered voice from the ipterl-
or Stop at the wood in front of Courneuve."
The door closed and the coachman obeyed
At the end Of ten minutes the carriage
stopped again. Ii was now light enough to
distinguish little wood Of oak trees on the
left Of the road
.'Do not get off your seat" commanded the
voice from the interior. The occupant HIM
self lowered the steps and capcd out on the
high road lie wore cloak, and carried In
his hand double barreled carbinc
s'Turn around aud go back to Paris no
said to the driver '.You will find your pay
in the pocket of the carriage"
IF monsieur desires" commenced the
coachman.
The other raised his carbine. mo reply"
he said. eco" Aud the coachman whipped
up his horses.
Left to himself, the former occupant of the
carriage immediately entered the wood. and
started rapidly in the direction OF Courneuve,
as If he felt himself pursued. At tive hum
drcd steps he stopped short and listened. lie :
thought that he heard noise which ceased
suddenly !. 1t was like the echo of his own
steps. When one listens thus, after running,
he ear is often deceived by the agitated les
pration.
Henri de Villiers, for it was he, remained
a moment immovable, holding his breath. A,
profound silence reigued in the wood.
When he resumed his course he hears, a
feeble noise, as Of leaves stirring. lie turned
around.
Whether illusion or reality, an indistinct
from appeared to him among the trees. lie
brought his carbine to his face. At the mo-
ment he was about to FIRE he changed his
mind and walked back, with his gun point
ing to the object.
1t was an old trunk Of an oak. He went
all around it, and saw nobody but fifty steps
further on the leaves stirred again. and the
viscount believed that he saw an object NOV
ing in the darkness.
Il am dreaming" he cried, cursing lis
weakness '.liaye l not hundred times
seen shadows moving in the forest ? | will 60
ahead. My game is yet good. have foot,
4 good eye, aud this Rosen shall not have
my estate" Aud he pursued his way across
the wood, not stopping until he came to the
edge OIL. it..
There he deposited his carbine against a
tree, for the purpose Of restoring warmth to
his benumbed hands by active and prolonged
rubbing them together
ltwas still dark in the wood, but light was
appearing in the plain. The yiscount Con-
suited with himself and arranged his plan Of
battle. He thought no more OF the phantas-
na.oria which had followed him SINCE le
entered the wood lss
lie was wrong. Two hundred steps lie.
hind him Towah crawled upon the ground,
advancing quietly, and making no nsi.e. He
had ran alter the carriage all the way from
Paris.
The viscount said to himself: CHOSEN is
Courneuve road. / shall ambush myself
close at hand. l shall have him on the flank,
and ifm hand does not trenble, this viii
be the end OF this adventure"
We do not defend the viscount-but this
r,sse is not condemned by the fierce aud Curl
Gus laws Of he American ducl.* as
The rcd skins were noblemen-the Yam
KEGS conlmoncrs Yet they killed the red
skins, calling them savascs.
Tn fact the Yank ees know how to live-and
their immense newspapers bring us every
week some new proof Of their civilizatioH.
They knock each other down on the floor Of
Congress; they expose themselves to be shot
in the streets they blow out each others
brains in the churches, by tine aid Of those
ingenious things which they call revolyels.a
All this is not savage.
The American duel has no resemblance to
the courteous duel Of France. 1t is not Ike
our duel, bad piece of pleasantly. One Of
the conlbatants must be dead at the end Of
the fight.
The viscount frightened his belt, and assur-
cd himself that he had free movement of his
limbs in his clothes. He looked around for
the post he should take.
Towah was not over fifty steps from him,
and was crawling upon his hands aud ioet--
The serpent Of the savanna does not glide
more noiselessly through the high grass than
DID Towah.
Not soul could be seen on tho plain clio
must however, have arrived" said the Wis.,
count to himself when it is broad day the
fight will be impossible"
At the northern point Of the wood there was
rising ground the top Of which was only u
few steps from the last trees. The viscoune
assembled this eminence to see if the Brook "
MontiorJ was in sight from that place.
Towah was only two or three measures from