Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-18
CHAPTER v.

stole IN sinister SIleuCe ouI VI Ih@
COURTYARD of the Hotel d'Orient, at the
same sedate pace and with the same
surreptitious air skulked through the
town, and finally swung eastWards
upon the Route dc la Corniche, sud-
denly discarding all pretense of docil'
ity and swooping onward with windy
roar, its powerful motor purring like
some gigantic tiger-cat.
It carried four; at the wheel a gog-
gled and ennuied operator IN shape
less and hideous garments; in the
tonneau it's owner, middle-aged
French manufacturer with pouched
eyes, a liver, lank jaws clean-scraped,
and an expression of high-minded de-
votion to duty; Captain Won Einem In
uniform; and Colonel O'Rourke.
At the end Of an hours run, dis.
turbed by one or two absurdly grave
conferences between the seconds, In
appropriate monotones, the mechani-
clan put on the brakes and slowed
down the car, then deity swung 1t
into a narrow lane, a leafy tunnel
through which it crawled for min
ute or two ere debouching into a
broad and sunlit meadow, walled in by
woodland, conspicuously secluded.
To one side and at little distance
q second motor-car stood at rest; its
operator had removed the hood and
was tinkering with the motor in a
most matter-offact manner. In the
body of the machine Monsieur lie Vi.
comte des Trebes, ostentatiously una
ware of the advent of the second
party, sat twisting rapier-points to his
moustaches and concentrating his
gaze on infnity. o'Rourke observed
with malicious delight the nose OF the
duelist, much inflamed.
Advancing from his antagonists po-
sition three preternaturally serious
gentlemen Of France in black frock
coats and straightforward silk hats
waded ankle deep in dripping grass to
meet O'Rourkes representatives.
The two parties met, saluted one an
other with immense reserve, and re-
tired to a suitable distance to con-
fer; something which they did word
lily, with enthusiasm and many pic
turesuue gestures At first strangely
amicable, the proceedings soon struck
a snag. A serious difference Of opin-
ion arose. O'Rourke OWNED that the
conference had gone into executive
session upon the question of weapons.
He treated himself to a secret grin,
having anticipated this trouble.
The choice of weapons being his,
as the challenged, he had modestly Sc
lected revolvers and had brought with
him a brace of Webleys, burly pieces
Of pocket ordnance with short barrels
and cylinders chambered to hold half
q dozen AS cartridges. They were not
pretty, for they had seen service IN
their owners hands for number OF
years, but they were undeniably built
for business. And at sight of them
the friends Of the yicomte recoiled IN
horror.
Eventually a compromise was ar
rived at. Monsieur Juilliard stepped
back, saluted. and with Won Einem re-
turned to his principal, his face
mask of disappointment. As for him
self, he told O'Rourke, he was desc
lated. but the seconds Of Monsieur des
Trebes had positively refused to con-
sent to turning a meeting OF honor
into a massacre. They proposed to
substitute regulation French duellns
pistols as sanctioned by the Code
Such as that which Monsieur lie Col
onel ORourke might observe In Mon
sieur billiards hand.
O'Rourke bli1ked and shifted at It
"Sure.' he commended, its magnify
ing glass l need to make 1t visible &c
me undressed eye. What the divVle
does 1t carry-a dried pea? What
dthey think we're here for. If not tc
slav one another with due ceremony:
Ask them that. Am | to salye the
vicomte's wounded honor by smiling
him with a spitball? I grant We. tbs
magnificent. but It's not a pistol.
Grumbling. he allowed himself tc
ba persuaded. AS he had foreseen anc
prophesied, so had it come to pass
Yet he had to grum BILE, partly because
he was the O'Rourke, partly for Ell
feet
None the less. he consented, and IN
the highest spirits left the car ano
plowed through the lush wet grass
to the spot selected for the encounter
in the shadow of the trees near the
eastern border OF the meadow. Here
the seconds having tossed for sides
he took stand at one end Of sixty
foot stretch and, still indecorousl}
amused, ireceiseed loaded pistol from
VoniSNnsm. q;
= Des Trebes confronted him, white
with rage, regTettins alread!
(O'Rourke made no doubt that ne hac
-ct accepted TIE WepisyE-- The Irish