The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-11

tabletop. wiped his thumb on his coat,
and grinned at me maliciously
Il had my friends among the men, and
next day, when the duel came these help
ed me to arrange the machine, while otn-
ers helped Durand My wife stood on his
side of the Enclosure. and / saw her give
to Durand in the car one or two bundles.
But was too busy to do more than just
notice her pleasant activity and her smiles
so encouraging to Durand.
I'VE had each revolver of large size
and of five chambers. We could fire at
each other or at each others gasbags 50
soon as the signal pistol was fired from
below.
aFhe balloons were set free. Ny wife's
fa@ followed Durand's car with less anx,
Iety than had thought probable. But il
Is always foolish 10 couple probability and
woman
''The pistol shot from below sounded
sharp as we were up about 500 feet, and
with 1t there came up the clear exclama-
ton OF my wife 10 Durand Promptement
mon ami! And he was quick, for one Of
his bullets hit the black iron rim of my
car and left a gray splash on it. My OBJ
ponent preferred TO aim at me, not at my
gas bag.
We were not more than fifty feet apart
and nearly level. Durand was the lighter
man. and had arranged his ballast to keep
US level. have said that my wife handed
bundles to him.
Il reserved my fire, and Durand's Sec
ond Shot missed me and the balloon. His
third bullet went into my shoulder.
L still reserved my fire, for l could fol-
low Durand, who could hardly drift in
the light breeze and the sunshine My bal
loon could be steered, his could not.
i leaned over the edge of my car, and
as Durand again took aim l shouted sud
IN, anti. -,,k.
manned there smiling at him, as he cursed
at me for disturbing his aim. Four of his
bullets gone, and only one of them in me
l drank some brandy and fired my first
shot which let some of the gas out of
Durands bag; he began TO fa.l slowly, and
l followed, sam keeping about fifty feet
aside from him. The slight breeze was ex-
cellent for my maneuvering, and the
shouts from below were only momentarily
lulled between the shots.
Il steered as close as 1 could, keeping a
few feet above him, so that I could fire
down on Durand. At about twenty-five
feet from lateral distance leaned over as
far as l could, and fired my second shot
at his long nose, and hit his head some
where, and he put his hand to his left
ear. But it was only a slight wound for
Durend then fired his last shot, with an
aim so good that the bullet coming from
below me on the slant upward, made the
wound which left this scar" Bowel push
ed aside his thick hair and showed me a
long white streak across one temple and
the upper part of the skull
81 had three bullets left, and I could
steer my balloon. Durand had emptied
his pistol, and he could not steer his bal
LOOM
81 steered little closer to him.
Durand stopped to lift one of his bundles
of ballast, in the hope Il thought of
f-iG 7
through his right wrist. He stood UP and
lugged at the bundle with his left hand,
cutting a rope that bound it, and hugging
the bundle as he shouted something |
did not hear. AS he did so / fired, and
at that moment there struggled from the
bundle my little son, who stretched out
his hands to me from vile Durands arms,
and screamed: Papa! Papap as my
fourth bullet hit the child full in the face.
The boy fell over the edge of Durand' s
car into space. My fifth bullet did its
work without a mistake.
"You understand m sieu, that Durand
and my wife had planned to kill me first,
and, If that failed. to stop my fire by eX-
posing to 1t the son that loved.
at was enough to send one mad, was 1t
not, monsieur?-and you so like him.!
Quite disconnected 1 weakly said, yes"
and Bowel strongly yelled "Qui, mon
Dieur' as there was a sharp rip-rip, two
naSneS, ana the Spotty mirror at my DacK
shlvered and the pieces of glass fell over
me. Bowel fell back with a horrid mouth,
crooked and bloody, and the dingy invent
ors Jumped from their benches.
The very intelligent divisional surgeon
of police told me next day, in Bovets poor
lodging in Quality court, that it was a
case of delayed cerebral action, accom-
panied by an accidental association of
faces and REINFORCED by'-but, there!
forget the rest. / tossed the surgeon for
drinks, and he won.