The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-09-08
na,ae, Wilson, what is your purpose?
WIZ. / will NOT mi will not"-

"Oh, stopw he put in. ''Show a little
manhood. Pull yourself up and hear
me through. The duel, as l was saying,
is to be conducted in a dark room. They
objected to this when I first proposed it,
but on my naming swords as the weap-
.ons they consented. You and LIE Baron
are to be locked up in a room without
any light and remain there until one or
the other is killed or disabled or begs
for quarter. And now for my directions
to you: just before you 60 in I will hand
you a glass of wine which you must
drink and, without stopping an instant,
enter the room selected for the combat.
Don't delay one moment after drinking
the wine, or it will be bad for you. Do
as l say, and you will be the victor. Ask
no questions, but do as l direct"
I did not half comprehend him, but
caught at the assurance that he under
stood what he was doing, and I felt q
slight hope that he could and would find
some way out of the difficulty.
Some miles from the city we turned
into a private way which led to a desert
ed chateau.
M. le Baron, Captain Boscher and the
surgeon were already on the spot. With
the slightest recognition of N another
we descended to the basement, carrying
but n lantern to illumine the way.
The room in which the duel was to
take place was about 10 feet square,
without windows and with but one door.
1t was very high and the walls were
built of split stones. I looked eagerly
about, but could see no chance for out
side aid to reach me. I should have been
mortally ervou had not the lofty and
supercilious air of LIE Baron aroused my
anger.
The final arrangements were quickly
made, and we each took a corner, sword
in hand. The conditions were briefly
restated, that there might be no misun-
derstanding-we were to remain each in
his corner until the door was shut, when,
after waiting one minute, the signal
would be given, and we should be at
liberty to slash each other as much as
we could, the fight to continue until one
or the other was unable to carry it fur
ther.
LILY SO4lC1 WaO u ulIC0U llOI1 LIZ I'll
trance and opposite it.
After the seconds had left the room,
taking the light with them, Wilson on
some pretext or other returned and
handed me a small flask. Then turning
me about so that my back was toward
the open door, through which the light
was streaming, he whispered:
GnripL fbiS Int do not fJ,rp ,7n+;1 T po
out and shut the door, and after the duel
is ended, before the door is opened, close
your eyes tightly and keep them closed
until I come to you and bandage them.
Say that they are hurt. Your life de-
ponds upon following my directions"
Before I could reply or question, he
left me, and the door was shut. The
liquor I had swallowed seemed to course
through my veins like lightning. My
head felt strange and my eyeballs began
to prickle. I turned and was surprised
to see what an immense volume of light
poured through the small keyhole. As I
looked it increased until the room was so
light that I could distinctly see every
part Of it. I glanced at my antagonist
and beheld him so plainly as almost to
be able to distinguish his features. He
was adjusting something inside his shirt
front. I was about to call attention to
the breach of the condition that the
room should be in total darkness when
the signal was given to make ready.
LIE Baron grasped his sword and leaned
forward as if he were endeavoring in
the dim light to make out something in
front of him. At the second signal he
stepped heavily forward, but surprised
me by quickly springing to one side and
then moving stealthily toward the CEN
ter of the room. I could not understand
his tactics and did not move. He swung
his sword fiercely with a downward
sweep, then to the right and left and all
around him, acting like a blind man
sticking at an invisible enemy.
Again he moved in my direction, GO
ing through the same performance, and
this he repeated several times until he
came so near me that for safety I moved
to one side.
"Where are your he grumbled, swing
ing his blade around, -
"Here," I replied, and as he moved in
my direction, brandishing the sword, I
stepped aside again, but he kept on in
the direction of my voice. For a mo-
ment he stood still, swaying the weapon
like n who depends solely upon his
sense of touch. was 50 near him and
the opportunity was so tempting I gave
a lunge at him. He made no attempt to
ward off the attack, and my sword
touched him. Then he turned quickly,
slashing the air in a circle, but making
no motion toward me.
It dawned upon me then that he could
not see as I could, and I was not long in
taking advantage of this. could easily
keep out of his reach, while he was COM
pletely at my mercy. I compromised
with myself on the advantage I appar-
emily had over him and did not attempt
to kill him, but I most cruelty disfgured
his face, cutting it until I feared he
might die from loss of blood.
IT, cou1d NOT have haen half an bour