The Bourbon news., 1912-01-09
CHAPTER v.

S'i|a' @-'t W
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 a 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, 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
down the car, then deftly swung it
into a 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, conspicuously secluded.
To one side and at little distance
a second motor-car stood at rest; it's
operator had removed the hood and
was tinkering with the motor in a
most matter-of-fact 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 infinity O'Rourke observed
with malicious delight the nose of the
duelist, much infiamed
Advancing from his antagonists po.
sition three preternaturally serious
gentlemen of France in black frock
coats and straight-brimmed silk hats
waded ankle deep in dripping grass to
meet O'Rourke's 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
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 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
! a dozen .45 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 a compromise was ar
rived at Monsieur Juilliard stepped
back, saluted, and with Won Einem re
turned to his principal, his face a
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 massacre. They proposed tC
substitute regulation French duelins
pistols as sanctioned by the Code
Such as that which Monsieur lie Col
onel O'Rourke might observe in Mon
sieur billiards hand
O'Rourke blinked and shifted at it
"Sure," he contended, tits magnify
ing glass l need to make it visible tt
me undressed eye. What the divvlt
does it carry-a dried pea? Wha
d'they think we're here for, if not tt
slay one another with due ceremony
| Ask them that Am 1 to salve the
vicomte's wounded honor by smitins
| uih Win SpitUoi. 81 dHI yC, tl'
magnificent, but It's not pistol"
Grumbling, he allowed himself tt
be persuaded. AS he had foreseen ant
] prophesied, SO had it come to pass
Yet he had to grumble, partly becaus.
he was the O'Rourke, partly for ef
feet.
None the less, he consented. and il
the highest spirits left the car an1