The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-07-21
He answered almost inaudibly. q

lie answered almost 1nau01Dly. "1 can handle firearms" he said. "I had to learn."
 I sat down and contemplated him for a moment. "Look here," I broke out again, "the whole thing is non- sense, sheer nonsense; it can't be al- lowed to go on. You've no business, my dear boy, to be coming abroad for your holiday, and getting yourself entangled in miseries of this sort. What would your family say Think of them"
 He raised his haggard face. "I can't get out of it." he said, q can't, not without leaving them to say that an Englishman shirked, and lost his honor because he was afraid. And it would be true"
 "Oh,"I said, "there are ways of putting things. Tell them that you've thought better of it it, that in England we're too civilized for such barbarous Middle Age practices, that when man is offensive, we kick him down stairs and there is an end of it. Anything would be good enough for a set of brutes who would entrap 8 lad like you into 8 duel."
 had touched his dignity perhaps. "I was not entrapped," he said, then broke into sob. "Don't," he cried, "don't tempt me. I Ioughtn't to have told you anything about it, supp pose, but I couldn't help it. I don't want to think of it, shall get fright ened again, and feel I can't face it all. Besides, there's something else I want to say" He began hurriedly turning over the papers on the table. "If Pm killed"
 "Oh, come," I said, "there's no question here of being killed. Duels are fought every day abroad, and no one is bit the worse. Tomorrow night you'll be laughing at your fears"
 "I think I shall be killed," he said simply. "I began letter to my mother" he went on quietly enough, "I don't know how to finish it. I think I'll sign it and get you to give it to her. Pm glad you're here. I thought there would be no one to speak to me again."
 He took sheet of paper with a half filled page and wrote; then fold ing and directing it, put it in his little writing -case. "You will find it there," he said. "And this portman- teau," he continued, "can go as it is. There are some things in it for my little sister Maggie, Eve got them at different places Ive been to, please see that she has them. And there are some books for my eldest brother, he likes old books"
 "You have brothers ?" I inquired.
 "Two; they're both older than I am. My father is dead. He died in Germany we were living there at the time. That is how I come to know German. I wish I didn't"
 He sat silent, his head resting on one hand, the fingers of the other idly tracing figures on the table; now and then he gave shivering sigh. At last he looked up and spoke.
 "Do you-do you" he began in an uncertain voice. He went on more collectedly. "Do you believe, you know, in future life, and all that? Some fellows don't. They do at home."
 "Your mother does?" said. "Trust to her."
 "Yes, she believes" he said, with sigh. He fumbled in his pocket, and brought out sssmall New Testament. "She gave me this at school" he said, ''and told me to bring it abroad with me. That is her mark in it."
 He opened it and turned over the leaves but in moment laid it down and passed his hand over his eyes.
 "I can't see," he said, "the words are all dazzled. Read me something, won't you? There, where the mark is."
 He pushed the book to me across the table. I took it up. A blue ribbon divided the leaves; the book opened of itself. I read as directed, where a verse marked in pencil first caught my eye.
 "'Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid; ye have heard how have said unto you, I go away -'0
 A mist passed before my own eyes; I closed the book. "My dear lad" I said, "I'm neither clerk nor parson more's the pity, if it would be any help to you. But if you fol- low my advice, you will take the comfort of your text and sleep upon it for the next few hours. You'll be all the better man tomorrow morn- ing for 8 nights rest"
 He did not immediately answer. He had taken up the book and was let ting his eyes stray over the pages. I spoke again.
 "Could you sleep, do you think, if I left you?" I said.
 0I don't kn0w--Pll trv.0 he said