The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1889-08-01
Nj. FROUOE'S ROMANCE.
'he Historian Produces a Work of Fiction
with Irish Exiie, for Heroes.

James Anthony Froude, the histo-
rian, has produced his first work of ro-
nance, and it is a story Of the middle
of the last century, in which the never
ending struggle between the Celt and
the Saxon is presented in a new light
as the central theme. The story Is
entitled, The Two Chiefs of Dunboy," "
and the chief figures are Irish exiles
who are in command of privatcers tit
ted out in France; the rebcIlious na-
tivcs of the south of Ireland, on the
coast of which the principal scenes are
laid; and the representatives OF the
English revenue service and OF the
English colonization schemcrs. Inci-
dentally there is description of the
Dublin society of the day. which goes
far TO explain the Decentralization that
prevailed elsewhere on the island.
1t is as romance, however, rather
than as social study. that the book
makes its strongest appeal; and the
authors account Of the fight between
the smugglcrs and the coast-guard, his
description of the long chase of the
privateer by the English frigate, and
his narrative of the duel between the
two rival chiefs of Dunboy, are of ab-
sorbing interest.
The duel scene. as the following ex-
tract shows, is quite exciting:
''Morty to fire first and at his own
time after the handkerchief was drop
ped. The 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 where he could
hit him with most certainty of fatal
effect Then he raised it again with a
vicious smile on his lips. His eye
fixed; his arm stiffened and became
rigid as the stock of crossbow. He
drew the trigger, the hammer fell, and
the pistol missed fire.
"Angrily be cooked it again, again
pulled this time without waiting, and
again there was no result.
There is something the matter
with your flint, sir, said Goring, cool
". You had better let it be looked
to.
with an angry flush on his cheek,
Morty flung his weapon to his nearest
second, who readiusted the flint and
returned it to him.
"He fired instantly, but Goring's
calmness had disturbed his nerve. His
arm shook. The ball, which was in
tended for his antagonists brain,
passed through his hat, cutting away
a hair or two on the Wav and 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. OSullivan,' he said, you
required the satisfactionsof shooting at
me, and you have had it. 1t is not
your fault that you missed me, for you
were deliberate enough. | might now
save the hangman trouble. But your
life is forfeited; it belongs to your
country, and to your country | shall
leave you. Fire at you in return !
shall not, but that you may know and
that all here may know that your life
is mine at this moment if | please tC
take it, do You see yonder bow at the
top OF the farthest elm, with single
yellow leaf at its extremity? Mark
that leaf
'.He, in turn, raised his arm and
glanced swiftly along the barrel; .
flash, Il shot, and the leaf cut off at The
stem by the ball, slowly huttered to
the ground.
"'Give us other pistols. Load again,
cried MortIy, furiously; but even the
Irish crowd. who would have been
well pleased to see Goring fall, could
not refuse their admiration for his
courage, his forbearauce. and his skill
there was a cry that enough had been
done; the seconds on both sides inter.
posed; they declared that the affair
was over and could 90 no further"