Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-03-07

{. Chapter VII-During great fire in New
YORK Ihorndyke assists atriot spy to eS-
cape. and from him he gets the name of
Rex" After returning to his quarters
ha is.snrnrised by visit from Scannrnal
CHAPTER VIII.
THE HINT OF THE EARTHQUAKE.
The advent of this man, whom all the laws
of dueling prohibited seeking me at the pres
ent stage of affairs, oceasioned something of
shock. The manner of his entry, the tragic
aspect of nature, and the sickly-green light
enveloping everything within and without;
the clamorous advance of the storm, and per-
haps as much as anything, the sudden re-
vulsion OF temper caused by seeing him,
threw me for the moment off my mental
balance, and I stood without moving, gaz-
ing at him as might have gazed at an APP
partition.
As we thus faced each other, noticed that
he was hatless, coatless, and without side
arms, the latter fact causing me further sur
British officer has in his sword and his re-
luctance to lay it beyond his reach.
Hard upon these details came three others
of different nature. saw at once that the
man was intoxicated, though not beyond his
own control; that in his left hand he had an
open paper, while his right, which still hung
7 would not have saa,, h,,t for AZ s,,dJan
eleam Of n fash If I;ghtn;no II oove my q
Quick realization Of he fact that 7 was IN
great danger and without The means Of com.
batting it, for my sword was in the closet,
while both pistols and rifle lay unloaded in
corner.
The crash of thunder following the flash
fer time made words impossible; and
action was equally out of the question, for
in the midst of the believing, and while
was casting searching glances about the room
for some means of defense, he raised the
weapon and leveled it at me.
could fathom no motive for his thus at
lacking me, save the heat in his rum-mad.
dened brain, and, Were he impelled by drink,
my position was doubly critical. Had there
been ghost OF chance to act in the ag-
gresslye, IN this desperate moment l should
nave awaited myself OF 1t; but not even that
really formidable weapon and guard, chair,
was nearer than the table, and to have made
move toward 1T felt meant certain de-
structlon. A sudden attack on him was out
q my power, Tor betwlxt us interviewed the
broad table itself, which made it impossible
TO avail myself OF the tactics had used with
Lounsbury. There was naught for me to do
but stand as was and await the terrible
issue.
however as ne renamed silent, man
aand 70 hno my voice. ana, as the thunder
foiied IN the distance shouted;
capt. scammell, are you SO demented or
SO cowardly and SO lost to honor that YOU
will murder the man you challenged to fight
in the feld?"
Without swerve of the arm, he answered
sternly:
"Sit DOWN."
Even thus beset, it irked me to obey him
like schoolboy, but realized that. armed.
under the existing circumstances he was far
stronger than with all my sinews. Wisely,
then, ! swallowed my ire, and, approaching
the table, seated myself with the hope that
he would come within reach.
He was not slow in following, for he
stepped forward and carefully slid into the
chair opposite, though not for second un.
covering me with the muzzle Of his pistol, or,
for that matter, taking his eve from mine,
And here we sat while flash and crash fol.
J lowed each other in quick succession. NV
brain worked rapidly enough, but as the sec.
onds sped no way could find to rid me of the
ohin;no rino of etoal oon front;no no ~ +,,r,,