The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-03-29

! himself. related the Incidents OF his early
hIe' Inc Svsniard's trsschery, and has
OWE SUBSEQUENT nlxht 20 America. where
ne ssid. he sought TO forget the past.
.lenc-
FINALLY the senior. with the same cold
expression OH his features. replied thsths
was ready 10 meet any demands Capt.
Haskell might SEQ ut TO make.
! KNOW little OF poisons." Capt. Has
Neii resumed. after tho Spaniard's as
surance. thanks 20 my acaus intance
with the seuor," he added. with q how
In ths spaniard's direction, ''and L have
mace four pills, all alike, hat one OF
wHlch contains a fatal poison. The other
three arc harmless.
Il propose that when this vessel lands
at 81. Louis, on the midnight following.
Mo meet In a place where we will not be
hoiested. Our seconds" again boNfnR
toward the senior, will draw for choice
me ono who wins viii select a pill and
swallow II. The other will 30 the same
Inc poison will not have any effect for
thirty minutes; N. NJ the expiration OF
thst time we are both alive. our seconds
WIN draw again. and We viii repeat the
seisclon, and swallow the remaining pei
lets. The body OF the man who draws
the poison win be weighted with lead and
sunk in the Mississippi river"
PILL DUEL WAS ARRANGED.
The spaniard outdid the captain I'm the
formality with which he accepted the
terms, and the meeting was Mt once sd-
Journed. calyert remained with the cap
tain, and attempted TO dissuude him
from the duel, but Haskell was firm and
unrelenting
week later at midnight, all four men
wero seated about Q table Ia a dingy and
poorly hshted room OF an unfrequented
mouse on the levee Captain Haskell pro-
duced The box containing the pills. one
could not be told from the other.
Calvert and the Spaniard's second cut
cards Tor choice and Calvert won. The
captain hastily selected "A pill and swsl-
lowed IL. The Spaniard followed The
seconds held their watches and told the |
minutes as they dragged by.
FIVE. ten and twenty minutes passed, |
but there was no change on the face or |
eithewman. At the end OF thirty minutes |
both principals were alive. Captain Has |
kell mouoned TO the seconds to draw |
again, and the Spanisrd bowed acqui- |
eScence. Calvert won "A second time for \
the captain.
Haskell took the box I'm HIS hand. *
tmlned both pellets and finally selected
,ne. He carried it To his mouth. hut sua-
ienly returned II 90 the box and drew the
pill This he swallowed The
took the pellet the captain had
rejected.
again the weary waiting began. There !
was certainty this time. however one or |
ne other OF the men would die. The cap
ans face was exprersionless: his eyes
we're fastened on the Spaniards features
The senor showed no signs. and the cyni- |
al, al,haf-coutemptuous smile still played
bout the corners of his mouth.
CAPTAINS DOSE WAS FATAL.
The minutes dragged on without n
hange. The seconds watched closely.
II last the smile seemed TO fade from the |
psniard's face: he half-rose from his |
hair. ilis eyes were riveted on the cap
aims faces Both seconds followed his
aze.
A ghastly pallor was overspreading |
haskells features and his eyes were |
pen and staring. lie attempted 10 |
peak. but the words were frozen on his
ps. Suddenly he flung HIS arms above
is head and fell from his chair to the
oor An examination showed that the
olson had been fatal.
That night, according TO the agreement J
lade by the dead man himself, his body
as weighted with lead and sunk in the
epths of the Mississippi river.