Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-11-17
, 90 to the man that he names as his

a Y. NOVEMB
go to the man that he names as his
friend"
/ was thunderstruck. / tried to re-
monstrate with him. l told him that,
SO far as an outsider could Judge, II
anybody had cause to send challenge,
it was Castex. l begged him to tell
me, in the strict confidence of friend
ship, what the language was that
Castex had uttered to hum. 1 told him
that could not act intelligently for
him in this matter, unless / was ad-
vised. He peremptorily refused to tell
me.
"You have been my friend, Dorion,"
he said. when | say to y0u that no
human being must know my cause of
offense, you will believe that there is
the best of reason for my silence. Ma
poleon Castex knows, no man better
knows, the nature of his offense. He
knows me, also; and he understands
that if he were to lisp q hint of my
reasons for challenging him, would
seek him and shoot him down like
dogl Don't argue with me, Alfred
Dorion; / tell you the man is a cold
blooded scoundrel; he has sought me
out to force quarrel upon me, and
there are the best of reasons why the
affair must go on"
There was nothing for me to do but
to deliver the challenge. found Cas-
tex cool, polite and consenting.
''There is not one of my name,'' he
said, with his marked French accent,
"who ever refused the request of
gentleman to meet him on the field of
honor. NJ. Bostock thinks him
self insulted. Some might think that
was No matter; here is his chal-
lenge. Take it to my dear Alphonse;
he will arrange everything with you.
/ only say to you, that my remark to
NJ. Bostock was the truth. He knows
it to be the truth; and he has not the
grace to see that put it in the lam
guage of la-belle France, that others
might not understand il. So much you
may tell him, if you choose"
The affair went on to it's frightful
end. Nobody could discover the truth.
Basnet tried his best to make his man
divulge the cause of offense, but in
vain.
Il only told him the truth, and told
it in French, that it might not be
heard by others. After I have fought
him, will tell it very loudly, in your
harsh English, do you be sure. Mean
while, am quite willing to fight him.
/ knew him long before you did"
The wound that Pierce Bostock re-
ceived was as nearly fatal as a wound
can be and leave the victim alive The
ball traversed his lung; nothing but
the extraordinary skill of the doctor
saved him. The doctor had served in
the Mexican war, and happened to wit
ness the successful operation of a
Mexican surgeon upon similar wound
of Gen. Shields, by cleansing it with
silk handkerchief In this way Bos-
tock's life was saved; but the fever that
followed confined him to his bed for
weeks, drained his strength, and left
him only the shadow of his former self.
His affection for his daughter seemed
doubled, if that were possible, by this
dreadful experience. In every waking
hour he wanted her with him. In his
delirium he would call her name; when
conscious, he would hold her hand and
look silently into her face as she sat by
his bed.
used often to call upon him while
he was confined to the house. One day
he sent Coralie out of the room and
asked me to shut the door
"You are still my friend, Alfred
Dorion-are you not?" he abruptly be-
gan.
ITO be sure 1 am. While am dread
fully distressed by what has hap
pened-"
"No matter about that. / want you
to tell me something. What hap
pened after got that mans bullet?
think my senses were wandering.
What did ] say?"
1 told him. l repeated his express
sions-that he regretted that he had
killed Castex; that he wanted to spare
him; that he was anxious to hear from
him retraction of the words which
had caused the duel. His face darkened
as he listened.
"Do you mean to say that said all
that silly stuff"
'I have only repeated your own
words"
''Then my brain acds wandering.
Dorion, meant to kill him. He has
gone to be judged, as / must be one
day; but, tell you, am not sorry he
has gone. He well knew when he
came up here with his malignant
tongue that either his life or mine
must be forfeited"
You can imagine what effect such
declaration had on me. 1t showed me
a side of Bostoclk's character that had
never suspected to exist. l began to
draw away from him, as did others of
his friends.
In less than two years after the duel
he had alienatcd himself from all of
us. His nature seemed to have
changed. He became cold, reserved
and naughty. He was very little seen
away from his home. When he re-
moved TO Louisiana, he passed away
from all intercourse with his old
friends here. He has answered no let
ters When bought this place, ne
gotiated with him through an agent.
You can see, knowing all this, that
his life before he came here was cloud
ed with something fearful and mys-
terious. / have wearied my brain in
conjecturing what it can be. His wife,
Conrad, Coralie, (which of them does
II affect-or does it relate TO all of
them?
II you can guess, you are shrewder
than I.
CHAPTER VIII
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