Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1889-05-24
MR.. rROUDE'S ROMANCE.
The Historian Produces y Work of Fiction
with Irish Exiie< Tor Heroes.

James Anthony Froude, the histo-
rian, has produced his first work OF ro-
nance, and it is story Of the middle
of the last century. in which the never
ending struggle between the Celt and
the Saxon is presented in new light
as the central theme. The story is
entitled. 1.-The Two Chiefs of Dunboy,"
and the chief figures are Irish exiles
who are in command Of privateers lit
ted out in France; the rebellious ma
tives of the south of Ireland. on the
coast of which the principal scenes are
laid; aud the representatives Of the
English revenue service and of the
English colonization schemers. Incl
dentally there is a description of the
Dublin society of the day. which goes
far to explain the decentralization that
prevailed elsewhere on the island.
1t Is as II romance. however, rather
than as a 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 alb
sorbing interest.
The duel scene. as the following ex-
tract shows, is quite exciting:
..Morty to fire first aud at his own
time after the handkerchief WAS drop
ped. The signal was given. He paused
second or two. raised his pistol. took
deliberate aim. aud 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 .
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 he 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
ly. You had better let it be looked
to-
With an angry flush on his cheek,
Morty flung his weapon to his nearest
second, who readjusted 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 way aud left him
untouched.
1T was now Goring's turn. With
the same composure Us before he again
examined his pistol, ~ il to assure
himself that he could depend upon it.
He then, for the first time since they
into Mnrty's face.
re-, uired the satisfaction of sliooting at
me. and you have had il. II is not
your fault thet you missed me. for you
wee deliberate. enough. Lmight now
save the hangnlau trouble.t But your
life is forfeited; it belongs to your
country. and to your country1 shall
leave you. Fire Mt you in return
shall not. but that YOU may know and
tnat all here may know that your life
is mine ut this moment If + please to
take it. do you see yondur bow Mt the
top of the farthest elm. with single
yellow leaf at its extremitya- Mark
that leaf
He. in turn. raised his arm and
glanced swiftly along the barrel; a
flash, II shot. and the leaf, ciit of at the
stem by the ball. slowly .hatt=red 70
the ground.
:. Give us other pistols. Lnad again.
cried M'rtIy. furiously; but even the
Irish crowd. who wnuld have been
we'll pleased t." See q ring fall. could
not refuse their admiration for his
courage, his forbearauce. aud his skill:
there was cry that enouga had been
done; the seconds ou both sides inter-
posed; they declared that the affair
was over and ,uld go no further"