The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1909-05-21
CHAPTER VI.

Al Overton had said. the meeting
was delayed exactly "a hours.
Ny courage always has an odd way
Of disappearing when am expecting
TO use II, although I must say. when
have had actual occasion for 1t have
always found 1t easily at hand. can
not decay that was very much fright
ensA for Giles on the morning Of the
meeting. and, to add to my misery,
heard that Overton was considered
one Of the best shots in England.
The dreary breakfast gulped down;
the postchaise rafting up to the door
Il had hoped until the last moment
that It would not come; the humping
along the road In the cool, bright sum-
ner morning: the gruesome, long, mar
row box that lay on the front seat Of
the chaise; the packet Of letters which
Giles had given me and which seemed
to weigh hundred tons in my pocket
ALL these were so many horrors to
haunt the memory forever. But must
say that, apparently, the misery was
all mine: for never saw Giles Vernon
show % much q by the flicker Of an
eyelash that he was disturbed in any
way.
About half way from the meeting.
ground We left the highway and turned
Into by-road; and scarcely had We
gone half = mile when We almost
drove into broken-down chaise. and
standing on the roadside among the
furxe bushes were the coachman, the
surgeon-a most bloody-minded man
I always believed him-Mr. Buxton
and Overton.
Our chaise stopped, and Giles, put.
ting his head out of the window. said,
pleasantly: "Good-morning, gentle.
men; you have had an accident, 1 see"
"A bad one" replied Mr.. Buxton,
who saw that their chaise was beyond
help, and who, as he said afterward,
was playing for place in our chaise,
not liking to walk the rest of the dis.
lance.
Giles jumped out and 80 did 1, and
the most courteous greetings were ex-
changed.
The two drivers, as experts, ex.
amined the broken chaise. and agreed
there was no patching 1t up for ser.
vice; one wheel was splintered.
Mr.. Buxton looked at Giles mean.
ingly, and then at me. and Giles
whispered to me:
''Oner to take 'em up. By Jupiter.
they shall see We are no strikers"
Which I did, and, to my amazement,
in . few moments We were all lumber.
ing along the road: Overton and Mr..
Buxton on the back seat, and Giles
and l with our backs to the horses,
while the surgeon was alongside the
goodman on the box.
Nothing could exceed the politeness
between the two principals, about the
seats rs about everything else. Over.
ton vas with dificulty persuaded to
take the back seat. Mr.. Buxton seated
himself there without any introduction
Il hope 1t will never again be my for.
tune to negotiate SO delicate an affair
~ meeting between gentlemen with
one 80 much my superior in rank as
Mr.. Buxton.)
MAY I ask. Mr.. Overton, II you pre-
fer the window down or up!" asked
Giles, with great Difference.
Either. dear sir" responded Over
ton. Il believe 1t was up when you
kindly invited us to enter"
True; but you may be sensitive tc
the air. and may catch cold"
At which Mr.. Buxton grinned in 9
heartless manner. The window re
NAMED mp.
We were much crowded with the
two pistol-cases and the surgeons DO,
oe Instruments, which to me appeared
more appalling than the pistols.
At last We reached the spot
small. nat place under . sweetly
Adjoining hawthorn hedge. with som,
verdant oaks 1t either end.
Giles and Overton were % scrupu
lsns about taking precsdsnco - sanl