Litchfield enquirer., 1874-10-22

tnal; R t1fertys Ditch, a ridiculous plan
 for taking water that could Eot be got to
 place where it wasn't wanted! Raffer-
 tvs Dites, that Lad buriei the fortunes
 of Rafierty and twenty wretched stock
 holders in its muddy depths,
 And thet's it-is it?" said Wingate, af-
 ter gloomy pause. ''Thet's i!, see 1t
 all now, boys. That's now ragged Pat
 Ratferty went down to San Francisco,
 yesterday, ill store clothes, and his wife
 and fonr children vent of in ker1idge
 to Sacramento. Thet's why them ten
 work,nen of his ez hedn't d cent to bless
 themselves with was playiu' billiards last night, and eating isters. Ihet's whar
 that money kum from-one hundred dol
 lars-to pay for that. long advertisement Times, yesterday. Thet's why them six strangers were booked at the Magnolia hotel, yesterday. Don't you see-it's thet l money-and thet Fool
 The Fool sat silent The visitors arose without word
 ''Yon never took any of them Indian Vegetable Pills?" asked Hawkins timidly of Wingate
 "No," roared Wingate, as he opened the door.
 ''They tell me that took with the Pana- cea-they was ont O the Panacea when I went to the drug store, last week-they say that. took with the Panacea. they al- ways effect certain cure'-But this time Wingate and his disgusted friends had retreated -slamming the door on the Fool and his ailments.
 Nevertheless in six months the whole affair was forgotten, the money had been l spent-the ''Ditch" had been purchased by company of Boston capitalists, fired by the glowing description of an eastern tourist, who had spent one drunken night at Five Forks-and think even the men | tai condition of Hawkins might have re- mained undisturbed by criticism, but for | a singular incident.
 It was during an exciting political cam paign, when party feeling ran high, that the irascible Capt. McFadden of Sacra- mento visited Five Forks. During heated discussion in the Prairie Rose sa- loon words passed between the captain and the Hon. Calhoun Bungstarter, ending in challenge. The captain bore the in- felix reputation of being notorious duel- ist and dead shot; the captain was un- popular; the captain was believed to have been sent by the opposition for deadly purpose, and the captain was, moreover, a stranger. l am sorry to say that with Five Forks this latter condition did not carry the quality of sanctity or reverence that usually obtains among other nomads There was consequently some little hesi- cation when the captain turned upon the crowd and asked for some one to act as his friend. To everybody's s astonishment, and to the indignation of many. the Fool stepped forward and offered himself in that capacity. I do not know whether Capt. McFadden would have chosen him voluntarily, but he was constrained. in the absence of better man, to accent his services.
 The duel never took place! The pre- hmlnaries were all arranged, the spot in- dleated, the men present with their sec onds, there was no interruntion f-c-e 4-s,s;. -.-isih4...s- 4f ,lssnntiou or ap0l- ogy passed-but the duel did not take place. It may be readily imagined that these facts, which were all known to Five Forks, threw the whole community into fever of curiosity. The principals, the surgeon and one second left town, the next day.. Only the Fool remained. He resisted all questioning-declaring him self held in honor not to divuIge-in short, conducted himself with consistent but exasperating folly. It was not until months had passed that Col. Starbotte. the second of Calhoun Bungstarter, in moment of weakness superinduced by the social glass. condescended to explain. should not do justice to the parties if I did not give that explanation in the col onels words. may remark, in passing, that the characteristic dignity of Col Starbo.tle always became intensified by stlmulants, and that by the same process ail sehse of humor was utterly eliminated
 With the understanding that am ad- dressing myself confdentially to men of honor" said the colonel, elevating his chest above the bar-room counter of the Prairie Rose saloon, 'tI trust that 1t vii. not be necessary for me to protect myself from levity, as I was forced to do in Sac ramento on the only other occasion when l entered into an explanation of this deli ca affair by-er-er-callingt the in6ivid- ual to personal account-erl I do not belleve,' added the colonel, slightly way ing his glass of liquor with a grace full gesture of courteous depreciation knowing what do of the present con- pany-that such course of action is re- quired here. Certainly not-sir-in the home of MT. Hawkins-er-the gentle man who represented Mir. Bungstarter, whose conduct, ged, sir, is worthy of praise, blank me!'
 ''As the spot selected was nearest the tenement of MT. Hawkins, 1t was agreed that the parties should meet there. They did so promply at half-past6 6. The morn ing being chilly, Mir. Hawkins extended the hospitalities of his house with bot tie of Bourbon whiskey-of which all par took but myself. The reason of that ex ception IS, Ibelieye, we'll known. It is .SnI,l ,l1 A0 lol- T. wine-glassful in cup of strong coffee, functions, sir, without producing any blank Arrangement of the nerves"
 The barkeeper, to whom. as an expert, the colonel had graciously imparted this information, nodded approyingly, and the colonel, amid a breathless silence. went on:
 s'We were about twenty minutes Tn reaching the spot. The ground was meas ured, the weapons were loaded, when Mir. Bungstarter confded to me the informa- ton that he was unwell and in great Pdin! On consultation with MT. Hawkins. 1t ap- peared that his principal in a distant part of the field was also suffering and in great Pain. The symptoms were such as medical manwould dpronouncescholeraic.' l say ccOutd have pronounced, for on ex- animation the surgeon was also found to be-er-ln Pam, and, I regret to say, ex- pressing himself in language unbecoming the occasion. His impression was that some powerful drug had been administer ed. On referring the question to MT. Hawkins, he remembered that the bottle of whiskey partaken by them contained 8 medicine which he had been in the habit of taking, but which having failed to act upon him, he had concluded to be generally ineffective, and had forgotten. His perfect willingness to hold himself personally responsible to each of the par 1 ties, his genuine concern at the disastrous effect of the mistake, mingled with his own alarm at the state of his system, which er-failed to-er-respond to the pecul- jar qualities of the medicine, was most becoming to him as man of honor and a gentleman After an hours delay, both I w1<ar~~z N~~S Il