Warren sheaf., 1901-07-11
CHAPTER VII.
A STARTLING TRIAL.

brought before the emperor it will
be necessary to 60 back few hours.
The autocrat had occasion to send
for the surgeon, Kopani, who had
attended at the duel, and as he was
some time in answering the sum-
mons he was questioned when he did
come concerning his hardness. His
answer was that he had been attend
ing the Count Damonoff.
"And what ails the count :" asked
the emperor. ''He was well yester-
day"
eyes, but he met with an accident
today"
sLook ye, Kopani," the young
ruler cried, who saw in an instant
that something unusual had hap
pened, think not to conceal any
thing from me. What is it, now%
'Sire, I meant not to hide any
thing from you. The count has been
engaged in duel"
"Ha! Was he challenged?"
"No, sire. He was the challenger"
$50, so. And who was the other
party?"
"A humble gunmaker, sire, NAM
ed Ruric Newell"
"Nevel, Newell soliloquized Pc.
ter. FFThe name is familiar"
'His father was a captain in the
last war with the Turks. He rose
from the ranks under Feodor and
was one of the bravest Of the brave"
"Captain Nevel. All, yes. I re-
member now. He and Valdai were
the two who first mounted the ram
parts at Izium. So the old dispatch
es read"
eyes, sire. Poor Newell was shot
a month afterward while leading his
brave company against a whole
squadron of Turkish infantry, while
Valdai came home and got colo
nePs commission" s..
"And afterward received title"
added Peter.
eyes, SIRE" st.,
sAnd this gunmaker is this cap
tain's son?"
eyes, sire" !
"And methinks Valdai left a
child"
"He did, sire; daughter, who is
now with Olga. She is his ward"
eyes, yes. And the count fought
a duel with y Il, young Nevel and got
beaten, eh %
Before the surgeon could answer
page entered the chamber and an
nounced that the Duke of lula
wished to see his imperial master.
The emperor directed that he
should be admitted, and ere long
afterward the proud duke entered
the apartment. He was a tall, stout
man, with light hair and blue eyes,
and not far from five and forty years
of age. His bearing was naughty,
though he was forced to show Of
respect now that he was before his
master.
S<Sire," spoke the duke after the
usual salutations had passed, 'I
have come to demand justice at thy
hands. My young friend the Count
Conrad. Damonoff has been most
brutally murdered"
"Ha! Say ye SO, Olga?"
eyes, sire.''
'But how was it ?"
'Thus it was, sire: On the day be-
fore yesterday I sent the count with
message to one Ruric Newell, who is
a gunmaker in Sloboda. He went as
I wished, and while there the gun
maker, who is huge fellow, provok-
ed quarrel and knocked the noble
man down. Of course the count was
offended, and as the .ruhian threat
ened to repeat the ofense and as he
furthermore grossly insulted a no.
bile lady whom the count held most
. dear he could hardly help challeng-
ing him. The fellow accepted the
challenge and has succeeded by the
most cowardly maneuvering in in
ficting upon him a mortal wound"
FFThis is serious affair."" said the
emperor, who had not failed to note
the astonished look Of the surgeon
while the duke was telling his story.
cit is most serious, sire, and sure
ly the rufian should be at once exc
cuted."
ftBut did you not say that the
count challenged him?" s.-..- .
'I did, sire, but you must remem-
ber that it was an instinct Of self
preservation with the noble count.
The fellow would have undoubtedly
murdered him had he not taken this
course" III. -.
':Were you present at the duel, my
lord?" 4
"No, sire, but I have a friend
without who was Dresent.0