The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-02-02
CHAPTER v.

At five in the morning a heavy mo-
tor car of the most advanced type
stole in sinister silence out of the
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 de 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.
1t carried four; at the wheel a Cog
gled and ennuied operator in shape
less and hideous garments; in the
tonneau its owner, "a middle-aged
French manufacturer with pouched
eyes, 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
into narrow lane, a leafy tunnel
through which it crawled for a min
ute or two ere debouching into a
broad and sunlit meadow, walled in by
woodland, conspiGuously secluded.
To one side and alta little distance
n second motor-car stood at rest; its
operator had removed the hood and
ti,,Ir xx.ttt h. IN n
most matter-offact manner. In the
body of the machine Monsieur lie vi
comte DIES Trebes, ostentatiously una
ware of the advent of the second
party, sat twisting rapier-points to his
moystaches and concentrating his
gaze on infinity. 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 aight-brimmed silk hats
waded ankle deep in dripping grass to
meet ORourkes representatives.
The two parties met, saluted one an
other with immense reserve, and re-
tired to suitable distance to con-
fer; something which they did word
lily, with enthusiasm and many pic
turesque 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 brace of Webleys, burly pieces
of pocket ordnance with short barrels
and cylinders chambered to hold half
a dozen AS cartridges. They were not
pretty, for they had seen service In
their owners hands for a number of
years, but they were undeniably built
for business. And at sight of them
the friends Of the 'vicomte recoiled In
horror.
Eventually 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 meeting of honor
into q massacre. They proposed to
substitute regulation French dueling
pistols as sanctioned by the Code.
Such as that which Monsieur lie Col
onel O'Rourke might observe In Mon
sieur billiards hand.
-. QRourke hinked and shifted at 1t.