The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1885-08-26

spdJ bO-A1oiAVV DIT ltf6 " C4oCn III ttiC
afternoon. / reckon the little wood OF
Plessis, on the road to Versailles, is a
quiet enough place. will supply the
keg of powder for your use and you
will supply the one for mine. !"
VERY well, sir,' said Foulon bow
ing. 81 shall be there. The terms to
be rigidly adhered to? To apply the
cigar which one has Just been smoking
to the open hole in the keg?'
Precisely, answered the Colonel
81 presume. said the Lieutenant.
with sinister smile, that In any
event the services of a doctor or sur
geon will be unnecessary"
81 am sure of it. - said the Colonel,
with a grin. .
Foulon left the room, and when he
had gone Colonel Skerrett said: .'Pll
fight this here devil, but amt gwine to
let that there fool blow himself to
atoms" The three friends took meas
ures accordingly.
The next day, at the appointed time,
the five men, all smoking vigorously,
were on the ground. Each'party had
brought its powder-keg along. The
Major and DR.. Vicaire tossed up. ThA
Major won.
Foulon turned CHASTITY pale, but
walked firmly to the key which the
Americans had brought and sat down
on it. It was an ordinary cider key,
and Major Marsh knocked out the
bung. All then retired to safe dis
lance except the Colonel. who remained
standing by FouIon' side. The latter.
down whose liyid face the sweat was
rolling, took his cigar from his mouth
and advanced it, still glowing, toward
the open bung-hole.
Hold on there" said the Colonel,
s'that ere cigar is lit"
Certainly it is gasped Foulon, his
lips guivering in spite of himself.
WELL" said the Colonel, with a
grin, you be MT such a darned fool
as to put lighted cigar into key of
powder, be you? When was you
born?"
Sir" replied the Lieutenant, vainly
endeayor, ng to hold the cigar motion
less in his shaking hand. Il have
given my word that if l lost the toss
up / should put this lit cigar
Hold on; you didn't say lit"
''Well, the cigar | was smoking"
''Put it out then"
''Sir, you have run the risk that
ran. l have lost, and / but do as you
would have done. l will put this
lighted gar into this bung-hole-"
PUT in the chawed-up end. then"
You insult me again, sir!''
''Bless your heart. You fire up a
darned sight easier than this ere pow
der ever will Do YOU think that
would ever put the burning end of a
cigar into the bung-hole of keg full
of powder? Great Jerusalemw
al have told you again. and | repeat
it, that you are no gentleman. But |
4 am man of honor. Bah, You
shall see me die as one. l keep my
promise"
Foulon slowly advanced the burnin O
cigar toward the opening in the keg
beneath.
go away here, you shall be killed."
shouted Vicaire to the Colonel; but the
latter remained quietly beside the VIC
tim. Vicaire covered his face with his
hands, and waited for the awful mo-
ment which was to blow his friend to
atoms. There was dead silence, and
then slight hiss was heard. Vicaire
looked up. Foulon. his face purple
with rage, was holding his cigar. after
repeatedly poking it into the bung-hole.
The Colonel was on broad grin.
'1s this POWDER" asked Foulon.
Tooth powder" answered the Col
onel; ''cost almighty"
But said Foulon, shaking now
with rage instead of fear, IF YOU had
lost the toss-up our key was full of gun
powder. What then?''
I'D have put the cigar out before l
put in" said the Colonel.
'.Ah!" murmured Foulon.
''Or stuck in the chawed-up end.
Hold on to the terms you"
Foulon calmly walked TO his carriage.
He and Vicaire hoiSted in their key of
gunpowder and followed it themselves.
..Sirn shouted Foulon to the Colonel,
Il said you were no gentlemen. | say
now you are coward"
The Colonel smiled.
For three DAYS the friends walked
about Paris and saw both FOulon and
Vicaire several times. They were not
posted in the cafes, for the Frenchmen
feared the storm of ridicule which a
knowledge of the grotesque duel would
bring upon them. Neither were they
horsewhipped, for Vicaire argued that
they would probably retaliate, and in
such case the whipping would be only
a modified form of the duel a la club
rempli.
On the fourth day after this s'duer'
the three friends happened TO be on
one of the large and beautiful steam
boats carrying excursions down the
Seine. Colonel Skerrett, like a con-
sistent Yankee, was in the pilot-house.
watching the working of the wheel. He
came down afterward and sauntered
back to where his two friends were
standing. Near them were no less in
d.viduals than Foulon and Vicare. Mel
Their party addressed the other. The
boat was in the middle of the river For
a long distance on either side the banks
were straight, and the tide was flow .ng
directly down the middle channel. Sud-
denly arose cry of fire. A wild
stampede of passengers in the bow of
the boat was made toward the stern.
and Foulon. who was standing near an
opening in the railing, was thrown
from his balance. As he was falling
overheard the Colonel stretched out his
long arm, grasped him by the collar,
and pulled him in again. The French
mans hat had fallen of. The Colonel
picked it up, and with friendly smile
handed it to his late adversary. Foulon
colored up and said eagerly:
Colonel Skerrett, l beg your par
don. You are gentleman
La the meantime the panic increased.
All the bow of the boat was in a bright
blaze, and the fire reached the pilot
house. The pilot rushed out with
singed beard and eyebrows, and the