The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-04-07
CHAPTER /.
IN WHICH / wHET MY FATHERS
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Nussl titTdrO tttlltIeN. TluiilS tNPitSS
brought me Captain F~alconnet's ehal
lenge.
Twas a dayfa,l to be marked With
white stone, even in u Carolina cal
d The sun. reaching down to tn
mountain-girt horizon in the west. file,
all the upper air with the glory of il.
departing, and. the higher leaf plume'
of the great naples before my cabii
door wrought lustrous patterns in gild
ed green upon q 2enith background o
turquoise shot with. crimson, like tn.
ngurings of some rich old tapestries
had once seen in my field marshal's
castle in the Mark of Moravia.
Beyond the naples j brook tinkled
and FLASHED over the stones on its way
to the nearby Catawha: and its peace
full bra wing. and the evensong OF a
pair of clear-throated warbiers poised
on the topmost twigS of n of the
trees, should have been sweet music In
the ears of a returned exile. But or
that matchless brides mont evening
of dainty sunset arabesGues and brook
and bird ong l was in little humor
for rejoicing.
The road made for the river lower
down and followed it's windings up the
valley; but Jennifer came by the In
dian trace through the forest. l can
see him now as he rode beneath the
NAPLES. bending to the saddle horn
AN LII aiiSLiC LkLIlS IoNC Il
pretty figure of a handsome young pro-
%vincial. clad in fashions three years be-
hin those ] had seen in London the
winter last past. He rode gentleman
wise, i'm small clothes of rough gray
WOODEN and with stout leggings over his
hose; but he wore his cooked hat atilt
like a troopers, and the sword on his
thigh was a good service blade. and no
mere hilt and scabbard for show such
as our %courtier macaronis were just
then beginning to affect.
Now 1 had known this handsome
youngster when he was but a little
lad; had taught him how to bend the
Indian bow and loose the reed-shaft
arrow in those happier days before the
tyrant Governor Tryon turned hang
man, and he battle of the Great AL
manac had left me father]ess. More
over. l had drunk a cup OF Wine Nth
MIN at the Mecklentnrg Arms no .ong.
Ell than Observation-Disclosures to a renewal
Of our early friendship. Hence, / must
needs be somewhat taken aback when
he drew rein at my doorstone. DOTTED
his hat with a sweeping bow worthy a
aourtier of the great Louis. and said,
after the best manner of Sir Charles
Grandson:
Il have the honor of addressing Cap
tain John Ireton, sometimes of his
majesty's Royal Scots Blues. and late
III III SlBOSkOiiG lllStlColy y L Ell =
ninth regiment of Hussars?"
1t was but an euphuism of the time,
this formal preamble. declaring that
his GRAND had to do with the prelim-
'naries of Il private quarrel between
gentlemen. Yet l could scarce re-
strain a smile. For these ~upcroppings
OF courtier etiquette with the free
stride of our western. backwoods. None
The less. o are to suppose that I made
shift to match his bow in some fashion,
and to say: AT your service. sir"
Whereupcn he bowed again. clapped
han. to head and rendered me a sealed
packet.
From Sir Frances Falconnet. Knigh.
Bachelor CT Eeaumaris. volunteer zap
tain in his mujesty's German Legion"
ne with stern dignity.
HaVin no second to refer him to. 1
broke tie seal o. the cartel myself.
Since lev enemy had seen fit to come
thus far on the way to his end in some
sentlemanly manner, 1t was not fo:'
me TO find difficulties in the formalities
In good tr"tE, l was overjoyea to be
thus assured that he would fight me
fair; that he would not compel me to
XII MIN as one kills a wild beast at
bay. For certainly l should have killed
hial in II event; so much / had prom
ised my poor Dick Coverdale on that
iisna November morning when he had
rhoked out his life in my arms, the vic
tim first uf this mans trnapharv and