Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-10-30

1Hc SfraWbcrfy-catef male no re
1 ply, but turned and called, ..Garrop.
The poor trembling creature came II,
again, wondering what new tlilcmm;
was prepared for him, and stood trem
bling, some ten rods Oft
"Garcon, is there vacant room /,
| the hotel p
/ without doubt, Mon ieur.
! "A large onc?p
Certainly. They are All large
our apartments.
Then engage The largest for me, and
| another--no matter whsi-for Mon.
! sieur le Comte."
aMonsieur, l give my own order,
when think them necessary" said The
Count, loftily.
II thought to spare yon the trouble
Go if you please (to the waiter) and
prepare my ROOM"
Then the strawberry cater returned
to his strawberries. The bully gnaW.
ed his lip. He could not make head
nor tail of this phlegmatic opponent
The circle grew little wider. for a
horrid idea had got abroad that the
Count had not found one that was
likely to suit him, and that he would
have to seek elsewhere what he want.
cd.
The mnrmur that went around rous.
cd that bully.
"Monsieur." he Missed. ..has pre-.
sumed to make use of word which,
among men of honor"
II beg vour pardon"
which among men of honor
"But when can Monsieur lie Comte
possibly know what is felt among mon
of honor?' asked the other, with a
shrug of incredulity.
"Will you fight with me yourself, or
will you not?" roared the Count,
goaded to fury.
stIf Monsieur lie Comte will give
himself the trouble to accompany me
to the apartments which, no doubt, are
now ready for me-" said the stranger,
rising, ~ will satisfy him.
"Good," said the other, rising, aI
am with you, i waive the prelimina-
ries. only beg to observe that 7 am
without arms, but if you"
."Oh, don't trouble Yourself" said
the stranger with grim smile "aIf
you are not afraid, follow me-"
This he said in a voice sufficiently
loud for the nearest to hear, and the
circle parted right and left, like fright
ened sheep, as the two walked away.
Was there no one to call the police
no one to try and prevent what to all
seemed imminent? Not q soul. The
dreaded duelist had his evil fit on, and
every one breathed freely, now that
the victim was selected. Moreover,no
one supposed, it would end there.
The count and his friend p were
ushered into the apartment prepared
for the lattery who, as soon as the gar
con had left, took off his coat and
waistcoat and proceeded TO move the
furniture so as to leave the room free
for what was to follow--the count
standing with folded arms glaring at
him. The decks being clear for ac-
uon. the stranger locked the door, r,pla-
ced ths key on the mantcl behind him.
~ think you n,g,.t ,uss rleapoa a
little. VIII you give me your atten-
ton for five minutes
Perfectly"
"Thank you. l am, as / told you, q
Frenchman, but l was educated in
England, at enc ef hos- Easao1s nnblic
schools. Had l been sent to one of
our own lycees, Ishould. perhaps, have
gained more book knowledge: but, as
il is, fhave 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, Monsieur le Comte?"
IL cannot flatter myself that do"
"Ah! Then i must be ono who
takes advantage ofmere brute strength
against the weak, and who practiced
in any art, compels one unpracticed in
1t to contend with him, is coward
and q knave. Do you follow e,now,
Monsieur le Comte2'
81 came, monsieur"
"Never mind for what you came be
content with what you will get. For
example--to follow what ! was obser-
ving--if 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, cowardly murderer and kna-
wish one."
II think catch your meaning; but
If You have pistols here foamed the
bully.
ri do not come to cal strawberries
with pistols in my pocket replied the
other, in the same calm tone he had
used throughout. "Allow me to con-
tinue. At the schools of which / have
spoken, and i'm the society of men
who have grown out of it and others
where the same habit of thought pre-
walls, it would be considered that a
man who had been guilty of such
cowardice and knavcry 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 at the same disad-
vantage as he placed that poor boy
at
"Our seconds shall fix our weap-
ons monsieur" said the count, .elet this
farce end"
"Presently. Those gentlemen, whose
opinions now venture to express,
not having that craze for blood which
Distinguishes some, would probably
think that such coward and knave az
we have been considering, would best
meet his deserts by receiving humil-
iating castigation betting his knavery
and c0wardicc."
'tAh! 7 see have a lawyer to deal
with" sneered the count.
eyes; have studied a little law,
but l 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 among other
things the use of my hands, and if l
mistake not, am about 10 give you as
sound threshing as any bully ever
got"
"You would not take advantage of
your skin in the box" said the count
growing . little, pale.
Exactly. just as you tlok advant-
age OF your skill in the lfoad sword
with young b.
.But it is degradipg-bfital.'
"My dear sir, just confder. You
are four inches taller, and bome thirty
to forty kilogrammes heavier than l
am. have seldom seen so fine an
outside. II yon were to hI me good
swinging blow it would d hard with