The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-09

steele" duel. Capt. Kettle came o''"
them quite unexpectedly.
Capt. owen Kettle had left the iitde
French seaport far behind him. Inc
noise OF the mixed nationa .tl.s "'rNi
cargo on the Sultan OF Borne. and the
rattle of her winches, had faded from ID.
ears. And he was giving his braun -i
afternoons holiday from all .1u--.- V4
crew driving. percentages tor pace own
ers' secret instructions. and, In fact rom
every matter in the least connected win
nautical commerce. He had turn'd MS
heels on wharves and crane and brokers
offices, ana was walking over the sand
dunes for the purpose of coumuning with
Nature. Such lapses from the routine OF
his life were rare to him, and sweet Ac-
cordingly.
\ man who has only threa hours u the
country per annum, can skim Inc cream
Of its beauties without gathenne SO much
as a hint that discomforts iurN beneath
The land birds, the whispering tufts OF the
grass, the yellow curves OF the dunes an
appealed TO him In his eyes they were
new, and fun of a strange beauty; ana
they awoke in him the mood poetical his
brain simmered with the commencement
of sonnets. His lips were puckered INTO
a noiseless whistle. as his thoughts set
themselves to music. Even the sight OIL
the. duenists and their escort did not BRING
him to earth all at once.
They had met in shallow valley of the
sand, these five men, where they were
ringed in by the grass-tufted mounds.
hundred yards away. Kettle was ignorant
of their very existence. He walked up the
slope of a dune. and saw them beneath
him, as black marks against a sunlit back
ground.
If they had held their tongues, even then
he would have passed on his way only
dinly conscious of the recontre. But they
cook a very sure way of bringing him back
to earth from his poetical soarinss. They
babe him with shouts and screams to go
to run away-to vanish. And when be
gazed back on them, unanswering, they
were foolish enough to add threats.
A change came over the little red-beard-
ed man on the sky-liSe above them. He
blinked his eyes a time or two, and SEEM
ed TO grow more compact. He put cigar
between his teeth, bit off the end, and
lit il.
The men in black repeated their threats,
raised weapons, and cried out that they
were five to one Capt. Kettle put one
hand behind his loins, puffed cheorfully
at the cigar, and walked down the slope
of the dune toward them He kept his
eyes on the group as he walked ana at
dozen PAGES whipped out a long-harreled
revolver with the deXterity of an expert.
Then he dropped il lightly into his right
hand jacket pocket.
And now said he, in fluent and un-
srf.s mai 10 al IN mi
of this foolish talk. If it comes to shoot
ing, | can snip the buttons Off any of
your coats without cutting the cloth"
but, monsieur, you are inTudng"
81 hear you say it,, retorted Kettle.
docs any one of you gentlemen possess
a park"
There was a pause and then a short,
stout man, who eXhaled a faint odor Of
frangipanni, said: 'None of us here is 50
fortunate. But my uncle does, monsieur,
if that will help you"
"Quite So And may l ask. sir. if this
place where we are standing now is your
uncles park2'
Certainly not. 1t is so far as I know,
common land"
"Then, there you are" said Capt Ket-
tie, and he sat down on a tuft of grass.
81 am not trespassing, and as it suits me
TO look on at your show, here l stay till
it is over. l never had a chance before of
der duel was fixed up. So wade in, gem
tlemen, as soon as you like Don't let
me hinder you any longer"
The five men in black seemed to be of
different opinions. They were collected in
three little groups.
"As a medical man. monsieur and a
non-combatant-' began the one in the
tall hat, who stood by himself
This intrusion, monsieur, upon our.
rights" said the fat, black-muzzled
man whose uncle had a park.
You are stranger IMMERSED in the
customs of France, monsieur" began
the tall, tired-looking man in the spec
tacles and the baggy clothes.
"a stranger" said Kettle. Jumping up
end taking off his hat "Oh. if that's what
the troubles about, Wen be through with
it in two shakes. My name is owen Ket-
tie and I'm master of the steamship Sui
tan of Borneo, now loading in your port
yonder. Very glad to see any of you gem
tlemen on board If youll come and have
a g.ass of whisky with me after this little
affair is over"
The five men in black bowed al different
angles, and the two pairs consulted to-
gether anxiously. Finally, the man with
the tail hat, who stood alone, laughed in
rather a strained sort of way, and took
upon himself to speak.
Time is moving" he said. Il fancy you
do not wish TO be Interrupted NTsieur,"
he added TO Kettle, you have stumbled
upon the most celebrated duel of the year
You will have seen it spoken of every day
during this last week in the papers"
Unfortunately, l never read them, -
said Capt. Kettle. Lets see, sir your
name Is. er-you said"
a." said the man in the tail hat. drily,
IAN merely on the ground as surgeon: so
humble an indiyidua that my poor name
IS not worthy Of remembrance. But in
the two principals here, ! have the honor
10 present to you Monsieur Camille Lee
grand, member of the Chamber of Depu-
ties (here the souIt man bowed with
his second, who is likewise a politician,
and also to Monsieur Creve, editor of the
Mot de Paris
The tired-looking Journalist with the
spectacles hooded, and Kettle said he was
very pleased 10 ma ke his acquaintance
"A man who hal printed in his filthy
paper the most hnwarrantable insilts
about me-" observed NJ Legrand. bitterly
Il have nothing to retract," said tbe
journalist Truth is frequently unpalat-
able 20 scoundrels
Presently. Monshe Englishm3n Won
viii see this hire lng liar scream Hn, for
pardon spluttere1 Legrand
The lean journa Ist began to saw soma
lmng apeut "a ga pred pig who lived on
HHa II