The morning news., 1889-04-21


James ANTHONY Froude, the historian,
has produmh his first work of ramauce, and
il is story of the middle of the last CEN
tury, in which the never-ending struggle
between the Celt and the Saxon is preSen-
ted in new light as the central theme
The story is entitled "Tne Two Chiefs of
Dunboy,n aud the chief figures are Irish
exiles, who are in command of privateers
fitted out in France; the rebelious natives
of the south of Ireland, on the coaso of
which the principal see es are laid; and the
representatives of the English revenue ser
vice and of the English colonization
schemes Incidentally there is a descrip-
tion OF the Dublin society Of the day, which
goes far to explain the generalization that
prevailed elsewhere on the island.
1t is as a romance however, rather than
as social study, that the book makes its
strongest appeal; and the authors account
| of the fight between the smugglers and the
| coast-guard; his description of the long
| chase of the privateer by the English
rigate, and his narrative of the duel be-
| tween the two rival chiefs Of Dunboc, are
of absorbing interest. His style through
out is noteworthy for its nervous eaergy III
the narration Of the mora adven urous por-
| ito of the tale.
The duel scene, as the following extract
shows, is quite exciting:
Morty was to fire first and at his own
time after the handkerchief YVES dropped,
Toe signal was given. He paused a second
or two, raised his pistol, took deliberate
aim, and then let fall his arm again, and
| scanned his enemy's body, as if considering
| wnere he could hit him with most certainty
of fatal effect. Then he raised 1T agaiH
with vicious smile on his lips. His eye
| fixed his arm stiffened and became rig d
as the stock of a crossbow. He drew the
trigger. the hammer fell, aud the pistol
missed fire.
AngrIly he cocked it again, again pulle /,
this time without waiting, and again there
was no result.
"There is something the matter witt
your flint, sir" said Goring cody. You
had better let it be looked TO-"
With an angry flush on his cheek, Nor y
flung his weapon to his nearest seco ID, who
readjusted the flint and returned it to him.
He fired instantly, out Goring's calmness
had disturbed aisnerve. His arm shook.
The ball, which was intended for his antag
onist's brain, passed through his hat, cut
ting away a nair or two, on the way, aud
left him untouched.
1t was now Goring's turn With the same
cOmposure as before, he again examined his
pistol, as if to assure himself that he could
depend upon it. He then, for the first time
since they had taken their places, looked
steadily into Morty's face.
Capt. O'5ulliYan," he said, "you re-
quired the satisfaction of shooting at me,
and you have had it. 1t is not your fault
that you have missed me, for you were
deliberate enough. | might now save the
hangman trouble. Bat your life is forfeited
it elongs to your country, and to your
country | shall leave you. Fire at you in
return, shall not; but tat you may know
and that all here may know that your life
is mine at this moment if please TO take
it, do you sea yonder bough at the top OF
the furtherest elm, with a single yellow
leaf at its extremity Mark that leaf"
He, in turn, raised his arm and glanced
swiftly along the barrel; a flash, shot,
and the leaf, cut off at the stem by the ball
slowly futtered TO the ground.
olive us other pistols. Load again." cried
Morty furiously; but even the Irish crowd
who would have been well pleased to see
Goring fall. could not refuse their admira-
ton for his courage, his forbearance and
skill; there was a cry that enough had been
done; the seconds on both sides intsrposed
they declared the affair was over and
could 60 no further.