The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-09-08
to comprehend what he was driving at.

but supposing that this was only another
exhibition of his whimsical character.
did you know who he was when you
struck him?" he continued.
"Know whom I queried.
"Why, the man you struck last night,
of course"
II do not know, nor do l care" I re-
piled indifferently, but wondering how
Wilson had heard of the affair.
"Well, it was no less a parsonage than
M. lie Baron, the noted duelist."
"Whatl not the man who, it is said,
has killed his dozen!" I questioned, no
longer Indifferent.
"The same. The morning papers are
full of the affair"
Explained the circumstances.
lie Baron had evidently been drink
ing too much" pondered Wilson.
"What will be the RESULT" I anxiously
inquired.
"Duel," was the laconic answer.
I could not suppress a feeling of faint
ness when it flashed upon me what
would be the result. A duel with M.
lie Baron meant almost certain death.
A refusal to accept a challenge would
~ostracize me from society, and more
than all else would lose me forever the
love of the one being above all others
whose affection l most wished to obtain.
I knew the young lady and her father
too well to suppose that they would
look upon me again if I in any way
showed the white feather. The matter
was taking on a decidedly unpleasant
aspect. I looked at Wilson. He was
busy stabbing a fly which was crawling
along the floor minus a wing.
"Do you think he will challenge me?''
I inquired nervously.
'Challenge you'll" he repeated con-
temptuously. challenge you! Why,
it is proverbial that LIE Baron would
rather fight a duel than eat. Challenge
you! Why, of course he will, and I
came here this morning expressly to Of
fer myself as your second. Of course
your position as principal in this bust
ness is more glorious, but then it is more
dangerous. Shall I meet the messenger
when he comes and make the necessary
arrangements?'
Certainly" said I, "'and thank you,
but I trust the matter is not so serious
as you make it appear"
sob, it will come out all right if you
will follow my directions implicitly, but
you may be very sure the challenge will
be sent this morning. Remember you
are to leave the whole thing to me-"
We were still talking over the affair
when a card was brought me, upon
which I read the name of Adolphe Bosch
er, captain Thirty-third cuirassiers.
HE is LIE Baron's second" declared
Wilson as I read the name. "Let him
come up"
The captain on presenting himself ex-
pressed much regret at being called up
on to perform IAN unpleasant duty"
but was interrupted by Wilson, who ex-
planned to him that his visit was not I'M
expected, and that he himself had been
requested to act for me. He suggested
that they Immediately depart to make
the customary arrangements, to which
Captain Boscher assented with more
apologies.
Left to myself, I began pacing up and
down the room, a%nxiously reviewing the
situation. To refuse to fight this man
was out of the question. Life, I felt
sure, would not be worth living without
the woman I loved, and if I declined the
challenge I should never be allowed to
look upon her face again. On the other
hand, to meet LIE Baron was. in all prob
ability, to meet my death. A cold shud-
der crept over me at the thought. That
was the only thing to do, however-to
meet the fellow and let him kill me. I
should then at least have the satisfac-
ton of knowing that my beloved one
would honor my memory.
The hours passed as only the hours can
pass to a man who believes that he has
but a short time to live. About noon I
received a note from Colonel Russell, the
father of my dear girl, in which in his
brusque way he informed me of his
knowledge of what had occurred and
expressed the hope that I would meet
the scoundrel and kill him. If I did, he
would like to see me afterward.
In the afternoon Wilson returned with
the announcement that all the arrange
ments had been made.
"It is to occur tonight" he said.
Tonight" I repeated. Why such
haste?"
"Oh, to get it off your mind. And we
have selected swords" .
"Swordsp' I echoed. 81 know no more
about handling a sword than a child!
You must have known that LIE Baron is
credited with being the most expert
~swordsman on the continent. I should
think you might at least have chosen pis-
tolls. That would have given him advan-
tage enough, heaven knows, but swords
Il don't know the first rudiments of
workmanship. It is murder. cold
blooded murder, and you are an acces-
sorry"
pooh! it is all right if you don't so
entirely lose your head as to be unable
to follow my instructions"
"Where is this assassination to take
placer" I inquired, paying no heed to his
remark.
"In the cellar of a deserted building
lust outside the city, and we must get