Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-01-13

smoking, with the greatest apparent
tranquility.
The carriage stopped. We had ceased
to talk-involuntarily our voices had be-
come hoarse and hollow. put my head
out of the door and George jumped
down. The other gentlemen parleyed
with the porter. who opened the gates.
Not soul was about the chateau The
first carriage proceeded slowly along the
alley conducted by the porter, cap IN
hand. No one spoke. The alley was
narrow and shady. The gates had been
closed again. Nothing now was heard
save the wheels turning slowly, and
grating with sharp sound on the gravel
of the garden. We turned to right,
then to left, with frequent stoppages, as
if following afuneral procession. bent
down to the doctors ear and whispered
with great coolness; "Do you know if
the family vault is still some way of?'
He looked at me in astonish11leht and
burst into peal of laughter.
Georges head appeared at the carriage
door. "Get out" he said to me.
De b took the swords, and he
Jumped otit. [ still smoked my cigar
mechanically, because felt in absolute
need of the occupation. The carriages
remained at little distance. The four
seconds greeted each other and talked
together some moments. The ground
was measured-I looked at the doctor
with a smile.
"Bah p he said to me, "it will go off
we'll enough"
With a Stealthy glance, observed my
adversary. He seemed exceedingly IN
different, and was also smoking. The
seconds tossed up some pieces OF money
George came towards me. You have
lost the sum-" he said.
"With my luck you might as we'll
have tried for the moon; | should have
lost all the stars of the armament, one
after the other"
"And YOU have lost the swords. You
will have to fight with your antagonists.
Well, take off your coat, and don't for
get what l have said. Above all, keep
cool"
All my self-possessioh returned my
heart beat rather hard, but deliberate
ly took my place, lit up by some rays OF
sunlight, and threw off my hat, coat and
waistcoat. My adversary and | now
stood face to face three PAGES apart,
measuring each other with the eye.
That is certainly the most trying mo-
ment Of all.
Perfectly cool. 1 stopped to turn up,
one after the other, the bottoms of my
trousers; then | tightened the waist
band, so as to support the hips, and,
pulling UP the shirt, putfed it out around
the breast, in order that the sword might
catch there without entering.
George came up and extended to me
one of the swords which he and another
of the seconds had just measured, then,
crossing the weapons, he uttered the
.oreparatory-"B Begin, gentlemen
Like q man accustomed to the sur
prises of the first moments, my adver-
sary retreated step. The blade became
somewhat engaged. With the corners OF
my eye | regarded Saint VS. red
gloves, brand new ones, which dazzled
in the sun. The Marquis advanced two
steps and attacked me with q rapid
disengagement / parried, retreating
quickly, and sent HIM a ripoSte, which
made him in turn retreat. There was
no other sound than the clashing OF
steel; in the silence was heard the gasps
of laboring breasts; we were both ex-
hausted. AS for me, my heart beat ter
ribly, and my profuse perspiratlon gave
the effect of two or three minutes OF
complete submersion in learning to
swim.
All at once the Marquis exposed his
shoulder for perhaps second; L
stretched out my arm and felt slight
resistance; the point entered. dropped
the sword as if it had burnt my hand.
90, pardon me, sir p ! exclaimed.
The first movement, quite involun-
tarily, too, is beg pardon, as of some one
whom you have accidentally hurt. The
sensation is very like that caused by
treading on a gentleman's foot. The
blood gushed freely from q pretty deep
wound the shoulder and arm 'stiffened !;
the Marquis, supported under a tree,
smiled rather gloomily.
put on my things a little apart; |
must own to certain pleasure in assum-
ing my coat while contemplating, at a
distance, the group formed by my friend,
the Doctor, probing the wound, and
bathing it with fresh water, the Marquis
reclining on one side, and Saint V
bending over him, with those eternal
red gloves, which kept up shining like
the morocco of top-boots.
George carefully wiped the swords and
sheathed them. Then he came up to
me, his moustache biting, in a smile,
which he had the good taste to swallow
his eyes sparkling with pleasure.
Bravo, my little CASTOR p he said, in
a low voice, "now, my boy, go and shake
hands"
1 made no objections, and approached
the group just as the Marquis de G.
was saying to Saint V:
II leave it to you, Saint V, with
queen of spades, second, and two trumps
what should you do?"
"My dear boy, there is no doubt; play,
of course"
"Good! I have been wrong, then.
Well, that is odd, my dear Saint V
-; should have given"
"Will you permit me sir | inter
posed, "to offer my most humble apollo
gies?"
Not at all, my dear fellow" he
replied, extending his hand "you were
perfectly right; the play was the true
game"
| confess that on returning, the sun
set to my eyes assumed the most ex
exquisite fires. My heart was full | was
conscious of an extreme need of ex-
preston, gayety, perhaps, even more
unnatural than that of our departure.
Nothing but Georges side gIances re-
tanned me.
The incidents of the duel were dis
cussed.
"Do you think, doctor, the poor Mar
quis will have long time of 2?
Pooh Fifteen davs or three weeks