San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-01-15
Copyright by J. B. Lippincott Company. and pub
lished by special arrangement with them.

EFT, a man may rise to his brigade and
yet be a.-scoundrel!''
The quietly whispered word fell SO
distinct and clear that Everett recoiled
as though he had stung him.
"You say-thatr' he exclaimed in sur
prise, almost breathless.
The Creole drew one step nearer. An
ugly smile twisted his lips, that scarcely
moved, as be whispered:
You shall fight me-here-now! l
have used one word; do not force me to
use another-cowardw
For single instant Eyerett's right
hand clinched, his arm half raised, as
his brow grew black and knotted. The
next, the arm fell, the hand Enclosed;
but the teeth were set through which
he forced the words:
"Had another spoken either word, I
had stretched him there! From the
brother of my boyhood l must better
understand
"Do you understand-thatY
With the quiclIness of light, Adrien
had drawn the torn glove from his breast
and passed it sharply over the others
face. But, vivid as was the motion,
Dale had seized his wrist in a grip of
steel and held it motionless.
While one might count five seconds
no sound, no movement, was made.
Then Everett softly loosened his grasp
and dropped his hands. His face bore
no trace of anger, his voice only solemn
pity, as he said:
''Adrien Latour, you have put blood
between us. Why, God alone can tell.
May he pardon you in your madnessI"
Dale Everett had no bigotry. As q
soldier he used the soldiers weapon, and
if he condemned he followed the tenet of
the school he was reared In. Five
minutes suficed for preparation. Neither
the generals humor nor his rank brooked
question. The two aids acted as seconds;
their sabers went into the opponents
hands.
Capt. Arnold, you will act for Gen.
Latour," Dale had said, as calmly as if
he gave the aid an order to form
parade. 1--WE prefer this matter keps
absolutely private. Should l chance to
be hurt, remember, Gen. Latour is to be
passed by you, masked, by al sentinels.
We are ready"
While he spoke Everett had thrown
off his uniform coat and vest and cast
his hat on the ground. Barring his arm
above the elbow, he took his saber from
the young captain and stood still.
Latour tore off his mountebank's
jacket, stripped the sleeve Of his army
shirt from a brown, sinewy arm, and
took his sword from Arnold.
Then, in the calm moonlight sifted
through the oranges, the friends of boy
hood looked into each others eyes as men
look when they kill. The even skill.
that years gone had been the wonder of
West Point, was now to have its deadly
test. The sabers crossed, shivered the
moonlight into silvery spray, from feint
and thrust and parry. And the giddy
song of the maskers, nearer and more
gay, swelled in the chorus of wild
scream, as Bonnie Standish few from
the distant shadows toward the combat
ants.
At the same instant, Everett's saber-
made by contract for other work than
this-shivered at the hilt, flying ten
yards away.
Before the fragment touched the
ground, the Creole had stepped back one
pace and grounded his point, just as the
terrified woman fell between them in
dead faint.
For an instant Latour stood like a
statue. Then he said to Capt Arnold:
1.-The gen eral does not demand another
sword. His life is his. Please say to
your commander, captain, that If he de-
sires to have the rebel arrested he mast