The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1902-08-23
CHAPTER VII.
4 STARTLING TRIAL.

be necessary to go back few hours
The autocrat had occasion to sent
for the surgeon, Kopani, who hat
attended at the duel, and as he wa
some time in answering the sum
mons he was questioned when he die
come concerning his hardness. Hi
answer was that he had been attend
ing the Count Damonoff.
Sand what ails the count ?" asked
the emperor. "He was well yester
day."
eyes, but he met with an accident
today"
'Look 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, meant not to hide any.
thing from you. The count has been
engaged in duel"
NHal 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"
"Neyel, Newell" soliloquized Pc
ter. The name is familiar"
ellis 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 Newell. All, yes. l re-
member now. He and Valdai were
the two who first mounted the ram
parts at Izium- So the old dispatch
e. 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
nels commission"
Sand afterward received title"
added Peter
eyes, sire"
"And this gunmaker is this cap
tain's SOM"
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 young Newell and got
beaten, eh ?"
Before the surgeon could answer
page entered the chamber and an
-nounced that the Duke. of Tula |
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 tall. stout
man, with light hair and blue ewes.
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.
Sire" spoke the duke after the
usual salutations had passed, 'T
have come to demand justice at thy J
hands. My young friend the Count t
Conrad Damonoff has been most
brutally murdered"
1Hal Say We so, Olga?"
<'Ycs, sire"
"But how was it ?"
~Thus it was, sire: On the day be-
fore yesterday sent the count with
q message to one Ruric Newell, who ID
n gunmakcr 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 ruffian threat |
ened to repeat the offense and as he
furthermore grossly insulted a no.
bic lady whom the count held most
dear he could hardly help challeng-
ing him. The fellow accepted the
and has succeeded by the
most cowardly maneuvering in in
ficting upon him mortal wound"
''Thjs 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.
at is most serious, sire, and sure
ly the ruffian should be at once exc
cuted."
"But did you not say that the
count challenged him ?"
Il did, sire, but you must remem-
Der that it was an instinct of self
preservation with the noble count.
The fellow would have undoubtedly
murdered him had he not taken this
Were you present at the duel, my
lord?'
mo, sire, but / have a friend
without who was present"
Then you may bring him in"
The duke departed, and when he
returned Stephen Urzen bore him