Willmar tribune., 1899-12-20

II shall guess it more easily, friend
Thomas, when thou hast stated it thy
self" answered Jabez, quietly.
''Well,' said Fitzgerald, rather taken
aback by this cool reception, after hav-
ing so long made the whole neighbor.
hood tremble at his very name. II hear
that you, sir, have thought fit to say
that you were able to beat me if should
attack you, and, of course, such an ex-
preston can have but one result among
men of honor. You understand me, 1
presume?"
''Perfectly, friend; thou wishest me
to do what in the language of the world
is called fighting duel"
''Just so,'' said Fitzgerald, more and
more astonished both at the Quaker's
unexpected readiness to fight and at
the GOODNESS with which he spoke of it.
"Name your friend, and I'll send mine
to meet him."
'Friends have I many, I thank
Heaven" quoth Jabez, ''but none for
such purpose. Hear my conditions:
We will meet at noon tomorrow on
Wantley common, without seconds, on
horseback, and with such weapons as
each may choose; and whichever is first
driven off the ground shall be consid-
cred beaten"
Fighting Tom laughed in spite of
himself.
''It's pretty plain that you haven't
had much to do with affairs of HONOR"
said he; "but one can hardly expect
Quaker to be an authority on duel
ing. Well, sir, accept your terms,
such as they are; and the sooner you
make your will, and take leave of your
friends, the better, for you've got little
enough time left.''
Long before noon on the following
day, Wantley Common was crowded
as if either the king himself or mon
ster circus had been expected to pass
that way. It still wanted few min
| utes of IL o'clock, when a clatter of
horse hoofs was heard from the direc-
tion of the town, and up rode Tom Fitz-
gerald on his famous black horse, with
a sword by his side and pistols in his
| holsters, looking fiercely round for an
enemy.
Suddenly hum ran through the ex-
pectant crowd, and, just as the first
stroke of 12 pealed from the old church
tower, Jabez Goodharte was seen jog
ging comfortably along on an mbling
! pony, holding in his hand something
that looked like long pole, though the
end of it was hidden under his Grim
son dressing-gown.
This dressing-gown, huttering in the
wind like a flag, was too much for the
nerves of Fitzgerald's horse, which be-
gan plunging and rearing so violently
as almost to unseat it's rider.
Several of the lookers-on burst out
laughing, and the enraged bully, hurl-
ing storm of abuse at them, charged
at Goodharte with drawn sword, mean
ing to cut him down like thistle.
But just then Jabez whisked out his
pole, with bladder full of dried peas
at the end of it, the rattle of which
scared the already frightened horse
| almost out of it's senses.
Round it wheeled, despite Fitzgerald's s
furious spurring, and tore off across
the common at such rate that in less
than two minutes horse and rider were
| out of sight, the frantic yells of the
squire being scarcely heard amid the
deafening laughter of the crowd
Then the flood of popular enthusiasm
broke loose. The victorious Quaker
was seized and carried shoulder-high
into the town, with an accompaniment
of cheering that made the windows
rattle again.
The local papers were full of the duel
for days after, and Jabez was so over
whelmed with visits and invitations to
dinner that he hardly knew which way
to turn.
AS for Fighting Tom Fitzgerald, that
days work was the last of him. so far
as Bullocksham was concerned, for
from that morning he never show.:d his
face there again. But, three or four
years later, Mr.. Hartiboy, the retired
landlord of the King George, return
ing from tour through southern .Eu-
rope, brought word that Fitzgerald had
died at Milan of fiji of apoplexy, caused
by walters impudent question wheth
er he was fond of dried peas.-Golden
Days.