The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-11-09
said the stranger with . grim
IF you are not afraid, follow

smile. IF you are not afraid, follow
me- .s,,r,,a,.v 4, ,fyss -s,s s;e @
This he said in voice suf11cien tly
loud for the nearest to hear, and the cir
Gle parted right and left. like startled
sheen. az the two walked toward the
house.
Was there no one to call police no
one to try and prevent what to all seem
ed imminent? Not soul The dread
ed duelist had his evil fit on, and every
one breathed freely, now that he knew
the victim was selected. Moreover, no
one supposed it would end there.a'a n
The count and his friend Fl were
usilered into the apartment prepared for
the latter, who, as soon as the garcon
had left, took off his coat and waistcoat,
and proceeded to move the furniture, SO
as leave the room free for what was to
follow-the count standing with folded
arms, glaring at him the while. The
decks being cleared for action, the stran-
ger locked the door, placed the key on
the mantle piece behind him, and said
Il think you might have helped little
but never mind. Will you give me your
attention for five minutes2' ,s-
Perfectly
Thank you. l am as I have told
YOU, O Frenchman, but was educated
in England, at one of her famous public
schools. Had I been sent to one of our
own Lycees should, perhaps, have
gained more book knowledge but, as
it is, have learned some things which
we do not teach, and one of them is, not
to take mean advantage Of any man.
but to keep my own head with my own
hands. Do you understand me, Mon
sieur lie Comte 2
Il cannot iatter myself that do
'Ha Then l must be more explicit.
[ learned. then, that one who takes ad
vantage of mere brute strength against
the weak, or who, practiced in any art,
compeis one unpracticed in it to contend
with him, is q coward and q knave. Do
you follow me now, Monsieur lie Comte :?
Il came here, Monsieur
sNever mind for what you came; be
content with what you will get. For ex-
ample-to follow what / was observing
If a man skilled with the small-sword,
for the mere vicious love Of quarreling,
goads to madness boy who has never
fenced in his life. and kills him, that
man is @ murderer; and more-a cow
ardly murderer, and knavish-'
Il think / catch your meaning but if
you have pistols here foamed tue bull:
Iy.
L do not come to eat strawberries with
pistols in my pocket replied the other,
in the same calm tone he had used
throughout. ALLOW me to continue
At that school of which l have spoken,
and in the society of men who have
grown out of it, and others where the
1, 1f 10
be considered that q man who had been
guilty of such cowardice and knavery as
have mentioned, would be justly pun
ished if, some day, he should be paid in
his own coin by meeting some one who
would take him at the same disadvan-
tage as he placed that poor boy at
Our seconds shall fix yonr own weap-
ons, Monsieur said the Count; 'let this
farce end
Presently. Those gentlemen, whose
opinions I now venture to express, not
having that craze for blood which dis
some-who have not had
similar enlightened education-would
probably think that such coward and
knave as we have been considering,
would best meet his deserts by receiv-
ing a humiliating castigation befitting
sAh! see; have a lawyer to deal
with,' sneered the count.
Yes l have studied little law, but
I regret to say am about to break
one of its provisions
You will fight me, then?'
Yes: At the school we have been
speaking of, I learned, amongst other
things, the use of my hands; and, if I
mistake not, / am about to give you as
sound thrashing as ever a bully got
You would take advantage of your
skill in the box?' SAID the count getting
a little pale. a<
Exactly. Just as you took advan-
tage of your skill in tho small sword
with poor young B.
But it is degratiing--brutal.'
MY dear Monsieur, jus. consid er
You are four inches taller and some
thirty to forty ki!ogrammes heavier than
[ am. I have seldom seen so fine an
Ii you were to bit me q good
swinging blow, it would go hard with
me-. In the same way, if poor young
B. had got over your guard, it would
have gone hard with you. But then, I
shall only black both your eyes, and
perhaps deprive you of tooth or 80,
in front, whereas you killed
him.
4 will not accept this barbarous en-
counter
You must, l have done talking.
Would you like to have q little brandy
before we begin2 No? Place yourself
on guard then, if you please. When
have done with you, and you are fit to
appear Men you shall have your revenge
even with the small-sword. ::As pres
ent, bully-ooward-kn take that,
and that, and that H
And the little wiry Anglo Frank was
as good as his word. In less time than
it takes to write it, the great braggart
was rendered unpresentabie for many 3
long day. That number one caused him
to see fifty suns beaning in the firma-
ment with his right eye, that number
two produced similar phenomenon
with his left; that number three caused
him to swallow o front tooth, and to OBJ