Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1904-08-26


| strip of paper to refer to barrel of
| flour or some other household neces-
| sity
Its actual message was so unusual
| and unlocked for, that it took him a
moment or two to realize the words;
] then he answered the summons for
his father promptly. Miriam proceed
ed at once to give him such Informal
ton as she possessed. Bran stood
| gazing az the beautiful, earnest girl,
and felt all the fear and force of her
words; but for some moments he
could not speak, nor decide on his first
step.
why do you waltz" pleaded Miriam
''At sunset, | tell you. 1t is now near
it. Oh, no thanks. Do not stop for
them, but hasten away at once"
He obeyed like one in a dream.
Semple was just leaving business. He
put his hand on him, and said, Elder,
no time have you to lose. At sunset,
Neil and that d English soldier a
duel are to fight"
"On the Kslchhook HILL Stay not
for talk"
run for your father, Bran. Run,
my lad. God help mel God spare the
lad"
At that moment Neil and Hyde were
on the fatal spot.
Neil flung off his coat and waistcoat
and stood with barred breast on the
spot his second indicated. Hyde re-
moved his fine scarlet coat and hand
ed it to Capt. Earle, and would then
have taken his sword; but Beekman
advanced to remove also his waist
coat. The suspicion implied by this
act reused the soldiers indignation,
and with his own hands he tore off
the richly embroidered satin garment,
and by so doing exposed what perhaps
some delicate feeling had made him
wish to conceal-a bow of orange rib
bon which he wore above his heart.
The sight of it to Neil was like oil
flung upon flame. He could scarcely
restrain himself until the word "go"
gave him license to charge Hyde.
Hyde was an excellent swordsman
and had fought several duels; but he
was quite disconnected by the deadly
reality of Neil's attack In the sec
ond thrust his foot got entangled in
a tuft of grass, and, in evading
lunge aimed at his heart, he fell on
his right side. Supporting himself,
however, on his sword hand, he
sprang backwards with great dexter
ity, and thus escaped the probable
death-blow. But, as he was bleeding
from a wound in the throat, his sec
ond interfered and proposed a recon
ciliation. Neil angrily refused to lis
ten. He declared "he had not come
to enact a farce" and then, happen
ing to glance at the ribbon on Hyde's
breast, he swore fnriously HE would
make his way through the body of
any man who stood between him and ,
his just anger"
Up to this point there had been in
Hyde's mind latent Discrimination to
Stay Neil After it, he flung away !
every kind of memory, and the fight |
was renewed with an almost brutal |
until there ensued one of |
those close locks which it was evil |
dent nothing but "the key of the body /
could Open" In the frightful wrench !
which followed, the swords of both 1
men sprang from their hands, flying /
some four or five yards upward with
the force. Both recovered their weap- |,
ons at the same time, and both, bleed I
ing and exhausted, would have again
renewed the fight; but at that mo-
nent Van Heemskirk and Semple, with
their attendants, reached the spot.
Without hesitation, they threw
between the young men.
But there was no need for words. Neil |
ell senseless upon his sword, making
n his fall last desperate effort to
each the ribbon on Hyde's breast; for
Hyde had also dropped fainting to the
ground, bleeding from at least half
lozen wounds. Then one of Semple's
1oung men, who had probably OWNED
he cause of quarrel, aid who felt a
for mis- young master, made
IS if he would pick up the fatal bit of
range satin, now dyed crimson in |
Iyde's blood.
But Joris pushed the rif1ing hand
ercely away. ITO touch it would be {
he vilest theft" he said. His own !
is. With his life he has bought it"