Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-08-11
yed-up end, them

you insu,s Learti You fire up a
bless III easier than this ere pow
Jar ever will. DO you 80 , cigar
a .nnrld nut the burning enc on Oh 81 nov
irto the bung-hole o. a S'99s
ih. nv Great Jerusalem! a,,
uo - have told you again. anu
:. That YOU arc no gentleman, w sL.u
H. IT, a man OF honor. Ban! lou sn"i'
lo ~ me die as one. keep my prom
Use. ,,or slowly advanced the burning
oirar toward the opening IN inc heS
beneath. sbou no EiTIr'
- Vic,ire TO the Colonel; u the
IaIter remained quietly beside inc VIC
- yjcoire covered his face WIN MS
sSarnJs and waited for the awful mo-
'"n. which was 10 blow his friend to
ms There was a dead silence, and
shon a SLIGHT hiss was heard. Vicaire
inotoJ uD. Fouion, his face purple
lii raoe, was holding his cigar, after
roncatedly poking it into the bung-hole.
TTbo Colonol was one broad grin.
az tbis rowGcr?" asked FouIon.
..Tontb bowdcr," answered the Co
Iouel; .'cost almighty" =,
but" said Foulon, shaking with
race instead of fear, .'if you a lost
the toss-up our key was full OF gun
powdor. What thcuP'
I .Id have put the cigar out before l
mt il in" said the Colonel.
I ..AbI' murmured FoulOn.
..Or stuck in the c~hcwed-up end. Hold
on to the terms you know
Fouion calmly walked to his carriage.
He and Vicaire hoistcd in their keg OF
Tunpowdcr and followed it themselves.
q ..Sirln shouted Fouion TO the Colo
mel, IL said you were no gentleman. l
say now you are a coward.
The Colonel smiled.
For three days the friends walked
about Paris and saw both Foulon and
Vjcaire several times. They were not
posted in the cafes, for the Frenchnen
feared the storm of rilicule which a
knowledge of the grotCsIue duel would
bring upon them. Neither were they
horsewhipped, for Vicairc argued that
they would probably r%etaliate, ana in
such a case the whipping would be on
ly a modified form Of the duel a la clup
rempli.
On the fourth day after this duel
the three friends happened to be on IL
of the large and beautiful steamboats,
carving excursions down the Seine.
| Colonel Skcrrctt, like a consistent Yam
keo, was in the pilot house, watching
| the working of the wheel. He came
down afterWard and sauuterCd back TO
where his two friends were standing.
Near them were no less individuals
than Foulon and Vicaire. Neither par
ty addressed the other. The boat was
in tho middle of the river. For a long
distance on either side the banks were
! straight. and the tide was flowing di-
rcctly down the middle channel. Sud
denly arose 4 cry of fire. A wild stam-
| pede of passengers i'll the bow OF the
boat was made toward the stern, and
Foulon, who WIS standing near al
| opening in the railing vas thrownfrOm
his balance. As he was falling over
board the Colonel stretched out his
long arm, graspod him by the collar
and pulled him in again. The French
mans hat had fallen off. The Colonel
picked it up and with a friendly smile
handed it TO his late adversary. Fou-
lon colored up and said eagerly:
Colonel Skerrctt, l beg your pardon.
You are a gentleman"
In the meantime the panic increased.
Ali the bow of the boat was in a bright
blaze, and the fire reached the pilot
house. The pilot rushed out with
singed beard and eyebrows, and the
boat slowly drifted down the stream.
The colonel caught hold of the pilot
and pga1 him tn FOulnn
Sir" said he, task this here fellow
which bank is the safest TO land on,
and tell me-"
''He says the right one," answered
Foulon. but the boat can not be
managed. The wheel must be on fire"
Without a word of reply the Colonel
plowed his way through the shrieking
crowd, leaped mp the stops of the pilot
house and seized the wheel. There he
stood, the flames roaring about him, the
crowd shrieking beneath him, steadily
steering toward the right bank. Fou-
lon shudderod at the exhibition of SIM
pie, superhuman courage. The bank
was reached. The crowd, selfish and
Crazed with fear, rushed to land. The
Major and the Captain struggled up
the cunning steps of the p~llot-uouse,
followed by Foulon and Vivairo. They
dragged the Colonel out through the
flames, bore him to the bank, and APP
piled restoratives. He was less injured
than might have been supposed, AID at
length opened his eyes.
oh, Colonel Skerrett!" cried Fou-
Ion, with tears in his eyes, ..your par
don, your pardon! You are a bravo
man and n mar of honor"
The Colonel" said Captain Picker
ing, can swim like au otter. He could
have crossed the creek a hundred
times without stopping"
Fists" said Major Marsh, "are no
weapons, perhaps. Wei, pistols are.
The Colonel can knock the center of a
tiVe-cent piece spun in the air at fifty
yards"
Il will fight q duel again."
murmured Foulon.
And | never call one man za cow
ard for not fight of 20 duel" said
Vicaire.
lis all tho women safc?' asked the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ". AUory, in Tie
Inter Ocean.