The Portland daily press., 1879-02-01
when he came to. he said mourufully,

passed by statues. Then he said, in his deep
bass tones,-
''Behold, am calm, am ready; reveal to
me the distance"
"Thirty-fve yards
I could not lift him up, OF course; but
rolled him over, and poured water down his
back. He presently came to, and said
"Thirty five yards,-Wlthout restr but
whv ask? Since murder was that mans in
tention, why should he pater with small de-
tails? But mark you one thing: in my fall
the world shall see how chivalry of France
meets DEATH"
After long silence he asked
"Was nothing said about that mans fami-
ly standing up with him, as an Offset to my
bulkp But no matter; would not stoop to
make such a suggestion; if he is not noble
enough to suggest it himself, he is welcome
to this advantage, which no honorable man
would take"
He now sank into sort of stupor of refec-
ton, which lasted some minutes; after
which he broke silence with,-
"The hour,-whas is the hour fixed for the
collision?"
"Dawn, tomorrow"
He seemed greatly surprised and immedi-
ately said
"Insanity 1 never heard of such thing.
Nobody is abroad at such an hour"
''That is the reason named it. Do you
mean to say you want an audience?"
SIT is no time to handy words. l am aston
ished that NJ. Fourtou should ever have
agreed to so strange an innovation. Go at
once and require a later hour"
1 ran down stairs, threw open the front
door, and almost plunged into the arms of M.
Fourtous second. He said,
81 have the honor to say that my principal
strenuously objects to the hour chosen, and
hegs that you will consent to change it to
half past nine."
"Any courtesy, sir, which is in our power
to extend is at the service of your excellent
principal. We agree to the proposed change
Of time"
"I beg you to accept the thanks Of my
clent.n Then he turred to person behind
him and said, "You hear M. Noir, the hour
is altered to half past nine" Whereupon M.
Noir bowed, expressed his thanks, and went
away. My accomplice continued:
''If agreeable to you, your chief surgeons
and ours shall proceed to the field in the
same carriage, as is customary"
''It is entirely agreeable to me, and 1 am
obliged to you for mentioning the surgeons,
for am afraid should rot have thought Of
them. How many shall want? suppose
two or three will be enough?"
"Two is the customary umber for each
party. refer to chief surgeons; but, con-
sdering the exalted positions occupied by our
clients, IL will be well and decorous that each
of us appoint several consulting surgeons
from among the highest in the profession.
These will come in their own private car
riages. Have you engaged hearse?'
"Bless my stupidity, never thought of it.
| will attend to it right away. must seem
very ignorant to you; but you must try to
overlook that, because have never had any
experience of such swell duel as this be-
fore. 1 have had good deal to do with
duels on the Pacific coast, but see now that
they were crude affairs. A hearse,-sho! we
used to leave the elected lying around loose,
and let anybody cord them up and cart them
off that wanted to. Have you any thing fur
ther to suggest?"
"Nothing, except that the head undertakers
shall ride together, as is usual. The subordi-
mates and mutes will go on foot, as is also
usual. l will see you at eight O'Clock in the
morning, and we will then arrange the order
of the procession. 1 have the honor to bid
you good day."
I returned to my client, who said, "Very
well; at what hour is the engagement to be-
gin?"
''Half past nine.''
''Very good indeed. Have you sent the
fact to the newspapers p?
''Sir! II after our long and intimate friend
sup yOu Cdu iOL d ulOuloub uE6Lu luG CdpdUlC
of so base treachery''-
"Tut, tut! What words are these. my dear
friend? Have I wounded you? All, forgive
me; am overlooking you with labor. There
fore 60 on with the other details, and drop
this one from your list. The bloody-minded
Fourtou will be sure to attend to it. Or I
mysef-yes, to make certain, will drop a
note to my journalistic friend, M. Noir''-
"Oh. come to think, you may save your
self the trouble; the other second has in
formed M. Noir."
"H'm, might have known it. 1t is just
like that Fourtou, who always wants to make
a displaY.''
At half past nine in the morning the pro.
cession approached the field of Piessis-Pquet
in the following order: first came our car
riage-nobody in it but M Gambetta and N.Y.
self; then carriage containing M. FourtOu
and his second; then a carriage containing
two poet-orators who did not believe in God,
and these had MS. funeral orations project.
ing from their breast pockets; then carriage
containing the head surgeons and their cases
of instruments; then eight private carriages
containing consulting surgeons; then hack
containing the coroner; then the two hearses !:
then a carriage containing the head under
takers; then train of assistants and mutes
on foot; and after these came plodding
through the fog long procession of camp
followers, and citizens generally. 1t was
noble turnout, and would have made fine
display if we had had thinner weather.
There was no conversation. 1 spoke sew
eral times to my principal, but judge he was
not aware OF it, for he always referred to his
note book and uttered absently, II die that
Frauce may live."
Arrived on the field my fellow second and
paced off thirty-fve yards, and then drew
lots for choice of position. This latter was
but an ornamental ceremony, for all choices
were alike in such weather. These prelimi-
naries being ended / went 10 my principal and
asked him if he was ready. He spread him
self out to his full width aud said in a stern
voice, "Ready! Let the batteries be
charged"
Tue loading was done IN the presence of
it best to perform this delicate service with a
lantern, on account of the state of the wealth
er. We now placed our men.
At this point the police noticed that the
public had massed themselves together on the
right and left of the field: they therefore
begged delay, while they should put these
Door people in place of safety. The request
was granted.
The police having ordered the two multi
tudes to take positions behind the duelists,
we were once more ready. The weather
6AOWihS opduucs III WAS dST66Q De-
tween myself and the other second that be-
fore giving the fatal signal we should each de-
liver loud whoop to enable the combatants
to ascertain each others whereabouts.
l now returned to my principal, and was
distressed to observe that he had lost good
deal of his spirit. tried my best to hearten
him. said, Indeed, sir, things are not as
bad as they seem. Considering the charac-
ter of the weapons, the limited number of
shots allowed, the generous distance, the i'm
penetrable solidity of the fog, and tie added
fact that one of the combatants is one-eyed
and the other cross-eyed and near-sighted, it
seems to me that this conflict need not nee
essarily be fatal. There are ch snces that
both of you may survive. Therefore, cheer
up; do not be down hearted"
This speech had so good an effect that nv
principal Immediately stretched out his hand
aud said, 81 am myself again; give me the
weapon
laid it, all alone and forlorn, in the GEN.
ter OF the vast solitude of his palm. He
gazed at it and shuddered. And still mourn
fully contemplating it, he murmured, in a
broken voice,
"Aias, 1t is not death dread, but mutIa-
tion.' '-'"