The Holly chieftain., 1902-06-06
CnAprEn XVIII
Led Out To Fight.

It was doubly humiliating for
Rhinslandsr to- HAD that hs bad.
through the fortunes of war. became
the prisoner Of the man he hated.
Hoffman was madly infatuated with
the countess, who was In Metz, and
he had learned. as lovers have = fac
ulty for doing, that while the dashing
adventures pretended to care for him,
she secretly adored Rhinelander.
This ccnblnatiSn Of circumstances
aroused the most evil passions in Con-
RAIDS nature. and he simply glared his
hatred az he thus looked in Paul's
face.
An! we meet again." he said, and
In the Heated passion applied an epi-
thet that came lily from the lips Of
one. whose parent had brought the
shame upon Rhinelander's family.
Paul promptly knocked him down.
He would have done 80 had he
known that the next instant ten sword
bayonets would pierce his heart.
No such thing occurred, however.
There were men standing there ready
to cry bravo" on account of the man
ly blow-men who had no sympathy
with one who could insult a prisoner
Of war: men who might have mutinied
and refused to obey If ordered to cut
him down.
But strange as it might appear, that
blow, instead of making a madman
out Of Conrad, seemed to knock lit
tie common sense into his head.
When he arose he simply gave or
ders to have the prisoner taken to a
dungeon under the fortress where he
had fought SO valiantly pa
AS Paul passed him Conrad hissed
in his ear: -.
"The hour Is close at hand-I do not
forget what vowed in Heidelberg
This world is too small for both of
u.s."
my sentiments exactly-make 1t
soon." was the characteristic reply
Paul gave
Rhinelander had been in the dun
geon about an hour when he was sum
moned from his 9cell to the presence
'of the commander.
His conductpra led him to small
enclosed space beneath the ramparts,
and here he found Hoffman, with two
French otficers, awaiting him.
1t was to be a duel. ~
Paul was not astonished-he had
made up his mind not to let anything,
however serious, take away his cool
disdain,, his calm confidence, that in
an affair OF honor like the one in
which he was about to engage is the
most valuable armor with which-a man
may be clothed. /.
Few words were wasted between the
principals.
Hate showed ia Honman.s, eyes, and
the Americans calm smile made his
blood fairly boil. ia4s stT
/, Paul was given, his. choice of the two
swords. and divestins himself Of his
superHuous garments. he took his
place upon the hlood-stained turf, ready
to Esve the Alsatian all the satisfac.
tion his Aery nature demanded.
How Conrad Caught o Tartar.
. Few men would fancy being drag
ged from . dungeon to have a sword
clapped In their hands and be COM
pelled to face an experienced duelist
with murder In Shfs heart. $50
( Yet Rhinelander accepted the oppor-
tunity to oblige Hoffman with an
eagerness that the other could not fail
to observe.
Perhaps q more remarkable engage
ment did not occur during tho brief
though sanguinary war between the
neighboring nations. g
It seemed as though the two swords
men were AMY matched.
1inuaes cfept by and - ut neither.
OF them appeared to have gained
material advantage.
This. could not last
Undoubtedly the man who obtained
his second swind" In advance of the
other would have the game in his
hands. M
That was where Paul's previous ex-
perisnce upon the plains. breaking
chasing wild cattle and en-
during the privations OF cowboy sx-
istsIce. served him well. i'if
And when he felt this change steal
Ing over him he experienced pecu-
liar, almost savage satisfaction, know
Ing. the power would speedily be In
his hand 70 eomplets the business.
Paul might at another time have
been merciful and spared his antaso-
MIST but he knew ftu we'll sxAA& to do