Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-06-26

briggs took the parchment
was All In French. and gave iree
translation OF its contents. The whole
thing might have been and douo'iess
WAS a transcript from my own story
Il certified that the admiral was the
sole survivor RESCUED from the meuHic
life raft by the Gloucester whaier anu
WAS backed up 10y the aiiidayits oil the
captain and half the crew. Most men
would have gone down under such
blow as that, but l am made OF sterher
stun.
Really" | laughed. you are going
TO a great deal of trouble TO make your
self ridiculous. Joking aside, there new
er was such a passenger. The whoie
story is fictitious"
Events followed one another quite
rapidly during the next few molnehts'
and am unable TO say who first intro-
duced the word liar" into the CONVEX
sation. There We're great hubbub ana
oyerturning of chairs and interposing
of mutual friends. while all the time
the Frenchman kept yelling "Zaiees-
vactionr' at the top Of his voice.
lam a peaceable man and cannot yer
understand how | permitted myself tn
be dragged into duel with the admit
raj. Ny first clear conception of the SIT
uation came when | was left stanulh
alone in one end of the large ban '1'
hall with a revolver tightly grasiV"
one hand. At the other end of the roo
was the admiral. similarly equipped.
Strangely enough. remember smiling
to myself at the voluminousness OF his
white duck trousers.
briggs, who was acting as master OF
ceremonies, had stationed himself mid
way between us, his back TO the great
open fireplace. Unconsciously | noted
that the ashes of a dead fire still lit
tered the hearth.
"After leave the roOm," briggs was
saving. tile lights will be eXtinguished,
and that will be your signal to conf
mence firing. You each have five
rounds. When your ammunition is eX-
hausted we will turn on the lights and
attend to your injuries"
He moved quickly TO the door and
the next moment we were in total dark
ness.
The full horror of the situation can
not be expressed in words Like a
drowning man, lived lifetime in q
few moments. The darkness seemed
| - 4 ri
hands grew cold and drops of moisture
trickled down between my shoulders
| am not coward and did not fear
being shot at. 1t was the possibility OF
becoming murderer that unnamed
me. dared not discharge my pistol at
random lest human soul be launched
into eternity.
At that instant brilliant idea dartet
into my mind. acted upon it at once
and with noiseless step crossed the hal
obliquely until my hand encountered
the rough stone mantel. Then, stoop
ing down, advanced the muzzle of tn,
revolver into the yawning fireplace ant
pulled the trigger five times in rapit
succession, secure in the thought tina
no harm could follow such an action.
The flash of each discharge was com
pletely hidden and the reports strange
ly muffled, but the unearthly yell
which burst from the chimney coul'
have been heard for mile A rapid.
moving body hurled itself into m.
arms and bore me to the floor. Tn
lights came on, and the member
rushed in, with frightened faces.
"Who Is hurt?' cried briggs, drag
ging the admiral and myself to an up
,, right position.
mon Dieu!" walled the Frenchmar
81 have been murdered! For safety
ascend flue, and Eat monster direc
his fire up re leg of my pantaloon."
"But they We're only blank cal
tridges," briggs protested. "The Who'll
, thing was jSie'
, "You call Eat joker demanded tn
, admiral. at the same time exhibiting
badly scorched calf.
. 81 did not know that our friend wa
such fire eater that he would chas
, you up the chimney for the sake of
shot" explained briggs. at seems t
have been the bite Of the lamb"
sit is BEST said |, disliking his me-
aphor, mot to wake the sleeping lion