The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-02-04
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THE CHALLENGE.

Td6 SaA146N00s
The following story was told to me by an off.
Ger belonging to one of II. B. Ms regiments sta
toned in the East, as We paced the deck OF the
Hydsspes, one fine night, while on the passage
from Calcutta to London. present 1t = ~
readers in the words Of the narrator, tall, VEL
built man, whose olive-like complexion indaea'
ted long residencs in tropical elimse
"When first received my commission ~ en-
sign in the British array, was gazettea 20 snc
-th regiment, then in India, and as the Z. ana
u. Company did not exist In those days. ooo3
passage csa the Cape of Good Hope"
In due course Of time | arrived at 1adraa,
and joined my regiment, in which I remained
euly three years, however, for, at the expiration
Of that period, purchased my lieutenancy, and
exchanged into the ID, which was stationed up
country.
"Until man gets thoroughly used to it, there
IL nothing 90 monotonous as an efseers life in
IN isolated lo,ality in India. There is routine
In everything: in duty, in lounging, eating,
smoking, sleeping, reading and billiards OF card
playing, and this 10 only varied, il. BY lucky
chance, he happens to be in district where
pig-stieking elephant or tiger hunting Is obtain.
able. At times, tso-espscially If ladies are
With the reginsnt-amstuer hops are in favor,
and occasionally "a hop" il imprevised; but
the climate is 80 ensrvating that neither sf6cers
nor mon Of any regiment that had been q con.
siderable length Of time in the country, felt very
sftea disposed to exert themselves to provide
amusements for their comrades.
1.-THE ID had been SIX years in India, and, in
consequence, all the members of that corps were
afflicted with lassituds that had almost become
chronic. There was a great dearth of female
sOciety-that s,ae qua sson of pleasurable exist
ence-and the hunting had been pronounced BY
those Old stsesrs, who considered themselves
genuine shiksrries, to be internally bad; there
fore, when it was announced that a new Collee-
tor had been appointed to succeed tho lverless
old curmudgeon who. for seventeen years, had
held Office in that district and a S0ta be'ie was
added, asserting that he was the fortunate pos
SCISSOR OF an extremely beautiful wife, every one
was on the qai eioe to receive him. Much to
our disappointment, however, he arrived alone,
having left his spouse to enjoy the society of
her friends il Calcutta for . few weeks, after
which che was to follow him with their only
child
"Ar Norman Fraser vas nan about thirty
five years Of age, tall muscular, and pre-esni.
nently handsome; moreover, he was highly sdu-
Gated and possessed such powers Of pleasing
that woa his way to all our hearts, and soon be.
came universal favorite.
He infused new life into our little ,oterie
snd many were the lamentations whenever his
0CAA0t CouuscuduCo uiU HUI VSen aCIObU O0E
mess-taSle. Our colonel's two Manufactured
aughters-regular garrison girls who had
airted successfully with every sub whom they
had met during the last ten yesrs-were en-
HANGED BY him, and openly lanepted that be
was already q Benedict; for, though hs 'was
only . civilian they would have been glad
enough to have had the ghost Of chance to en-.
snare him in the slken meshes of matri nony.
ut was . custom in those days for officers to
remain over the mess-table long after tho cloth
had been removed, aud, unless man possessed
. very strong head, he was pretty certain to Re-
tire to rest in lamsotably bsfoggsd condition
One night, when We all had been indulging pref
~ freely, the eonversatisn turned to billiards
An interesting topic, fox most of Us we're good
playera
Have you seen Fraser play? He beat Webb
easily to-day, and III back him against any man
in the regiment said Captain Raper, who con.
sidered himself authority on tiers connected
with games Of skill.
II always give Webb points, aud I won't
shrink measuring cues with the Collector, though
he certainly plays good game, replied.
"Fraser, old fellow, Lieutenant Holroyd thiaks
that he is your equal at billiards. Viii you let
me back you for game?' Raper cried, across
the table.
"The Collector, who was 'half.sess-over,
fAomPny CAplSoS0u MS Willingness 10 6L once
engage with me, so I registered bet of han.
dred rupees with Captain Raper, and we ad.
journed to the billiard-room. Ihad practiosd y
great deal in nv leisure hours, and knew myself
t" be steady player, while, from what had
seen of Fraser's play, judged that he became
nervous and irritable if luck went against him
ever 80 little; therefore, did not hesitate to ac-
cept few other bets offered by admirers of my
opponents brilliant style.
1--WE had got about halfway through the
game, and our scores were nearly equal.
when l made three most playable aukes in one
break, and this no annoyed nv semi.inebriated
antagonist that he played wildly, missing most
easy shots, and all the while denouacing nv
style OF execution in no very measured tones.
When sober, he was the most courteous and ur.
bane of men, but when excited by wine, he was
inclined to be insolent and overbcaring.
Il was more than thirty points ahead, when a
shot presented itself to nae that was yerv diff.
cult OF accomplishment. 1t was straight ca.
rom, but, in order to make it, the obiect-ball
had to be very finely grazed indeed, NV ball
scarcely moved the obiect-ball, though it un
doubleday touched it, and went on the red
making the carom. A dispute instantly arose
when / claimed the shot
on never hit the first ball, sir = cried Fra.
ser, loudly. N
81 know did not, bat my ball did, re-.
piled, carelessly
" It's false. There was no carom.'
DO you insinuate lie, sir 2
Yes! You arc both a liar and cheatr
Human nature could not stand that i,
slapped my traducsrs face. My brother of,icers
1hteriered, and, when my temper cooled. I fonnd
myself walking on the verandah with NV init;
mate friend Ned Howson. ''''
Come, Holroyd, let's yet some soda water