The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-12-30

tlBnuHS tomi
"Fear not. friend; II Thomas Fitz-
gerald seeketh TO harra me, / am eel
able TO overcome him"
Half an hour later the man Of war
stood in the little garden of the mon c :
peace.
"Mr. Goodharte," said he, in tone OF
stern politeness, cs the Quaker came
forward frcm among his flowers with
his usual smile Of welcome, my name
is Thomas Fitzgerald, and dare say
you will be at no loss TO guess my err
rand"
81 shall guess It more easily, friend
Thomas, when thou hast stated ii thy
self" answered JGbez, quietly.
SWELL" said Fitzgerald, rather taken
nback 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 10 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, l
presume?'
Perfectly, friend; thou wishest me
10 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 coolness with which he spoke Of it.
name your friend, and I'll send mine
TO meet him."
Friends have / many, / thank
Heaven" quoth Jabez, but none for
such q 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.
Its 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
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 a mon
ster circus had been expected 10 pass
that way. IL still wanted a few min
utes Of 10 o'clock, when a clatter OF
horse hoofs was heard from the direc-
ton Of the town, and up rode Tom Fitz-
gerald on his famous black horse, with
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 ambling
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, nuttering in the
wind like n flag, was too much for the
nerves OF Fitzgerad's horse, which be-
gan plunging and rearing so violently
rs almost 10 unseat its rider.
Several of the lookers-on burst out
laughing, and the onraged bully, hurl-
ing storm OF abuse at them, charged
az Goodharte with drawn sword, mean.
ing to cut him down like thistle.
But just then Jabez whisked out his
pole, with a bladder full Of dried peas
at the end Of il, the rattle Of which
scared the already heightened horse
almost out Of its senses.
Round il wheeled, despite Fitzgerald's
furious squirting, and tore off across
the common at such a 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 showed his
face there again. But, three or four
years later, Mr.. Hartiboy, the retired
landlord of the King George, return
ing from a tour through southern Eu-
rope, brought word that Fitzgerald had
died at Milan OF a fl Of npoplexy, caused
by walters impudent question wheth-
err he was fond Of dried peas.-Golden
Days.