Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-08-07

AUSTIN, MOWER CO..
mahogany arms of my late cnemy't
own brother, ana his toes almost touch
ing mine on the fender!
] looked ut the arrival, and the ar
rival looked ut me. 1 bowed to him,
and received courteous bend i'll re,
! turn.
"Wct night" said l.
"Wet night said he.
"An.l cold," said I.
"And cold" said he.
"Nice fire." said I.
"Nice fire." said he.
He seemed to try to give his words
my exact information.
He was hooking me!
"Damn it |" said I, and laughed.
"Damn it !" said he, and laughed
laughed so much like mo that I could
not distinguish any difference, either
in quantity or quality: he was right to
singc Ha!
I took another pull at my toddy, and
so did he I smoked my pipe serenely,
and made very deliberate survey Of
my friend. He became immediately
engaged in the same interesting occu-
patton with me. He was . man about
my own age, and evinced his taste by
adopting style Of costume closely re-
sembling my own. T noticed particu-
ly that his feet were encased in French
cloth boots, with narrow tips of patent
leather Mt the toes, like mine in fact,
I felt tempted to offer him considerable
odds that could name the maker aud
number of the lasts upon which they
were made. His face. too, seemed to
be very near like my face; there
was the noble brow, the partial
ly bald pate, the expressive
mouth, the magnificent teeth, the
chiselled nose-the-no, not the elo.
quent dark eyes-the same sort of eyes
though, differing only from mine in one
little particular feature. His eyes had
a red ring round each, caused perhaps
by cold or grief; nor could he boast OF
rosy fresh complexion such rs mine
his was most decidedly cholerio-blue
as indigo. I concluded at once that he
travelled for some dry-salter, and had
been tidgeting with his samples-per-
haps had received a parcel of blue stud
in bulk to save carriage, which he had
been weighing out and packing with
his own hands into the required
quantities for his various customers in
the district. Then, having done his
work, it was not unreasonable to sup
pose he had made his toilet for the
commercial room, and had in moment
OF forgetfulness used the indigo-bag
for towel.
am fond of harmless fun, and
confess fervently wished for a few
more arrivals to enjoy it with me. In
the space of a few minutes I invented
dozen funny things to say; the last
was so rich that I laughed outright.
And so did he.
We sat and looked at each other. |
noticed that when I took drink he
did the same. When pulled he pulled.
If I moved hand or foot, so did he.
I could stand it no longer; I was
angry, and I said to him
II am not to be insulted with i'm
punity, sir. My names Brown. I
represent the house of Rimmocks, sir
there's my card stand up like a
man, sir
My blood was up.
The cadaverous wretch repeated my
very words and actions, and handed me
card which was engraved, ode
Tremens & Co., Wine and Spirit Mer-
chants"
1 finished my toddy, took off my
coat, locked the door, and looked him
full in the face.
He finished his toddy, threw off his
coat, went to the door, and put the key
IN his pocket! But never for an in.
slant did he take his eyes off me. He
was quite ready for me. He waited
for me-. His azure countenance had
changed; he looked fiendish.
The noble art OF self.defence formed
a feature i'll my education; when at
school, I could parry and counter cap
italy; my blow was equal to n hundred
and thirty-seven pounds, and ! could
give the upper cut beautifully but
somehow l felt afraid of tins fellow,
and looked at him as fercely as
could, in the hope that he would make
me an apology. Nothing of the kind
On the contrary, his demoniacal scowl
grew fiercer and wilder every moment,
the redness round his eyes became
more strongly defined, and his orbs
shone with dazzle that seemed to
freeze my blood. I would have given
a months salary, and expenses to boot,
to have been safely anywhere else. l
looked at the window as the thought
rose, and determined to risk limb by
jumping through it into the street be-
low. But l must have passed him.
bis eyes were upon me, and gave up
the idea as soon as formed,
had contrived, however, to have
tho table between us, and thus we were
face to face. could not now look him
straight in the eye, as I had always
been accustomed to look ut a man.
l shrank from his terrible stare, and
my blood seemed to galop as though
every drop in my body had entered
and was running ON a steeple.chase
through my veins, with wind up leap
from my heart to my brain.
To my horror became sensible that
the table was moving with slow but
certain motion toward the side of the
room. 1 held it with all my strength,
but without avail. My antagonist was
evidently much stronger man than
myself, and had the design of making
for himself fair field on which to
exhibit his powers. 1 would have
pulled the bell out by its roots, for
help, but my hands were riveted to the
table. ] moved with it against my
will his terrible eyes wore upon mo.
At last the table touched the wall
my enemy lifted his hands, and as he
did so found mine were released.
Quick as lightning he sprang at me |!
Quick as lightning, I remembered
had large spring-backed knife in my
pocket; I thrust my hand in search of
it; but 1 was already in the grip of a
wise, receiving blows that would not
have disgraced mammoth's hammer.
J. was knocked down; I was knocked
up; was thrown over his head, kicked
in many places at once, jumped upon,
knelt upon; my teeth were punched
out, my nose hattcncd, my neck dislo.
Gated, my skull fractured, my ribs
smashed IN, before l could even plant
one with my left upon any part of my
antagonist.
At length obtained freedom for nv
right hand; the next minute he WINS