The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1912-02-07
CHAPTER v.

At Eve in the morning a heavy mo-
stole In sinister silence out OF the
courtyard Of the Hotel d'Orient, at the
szne sedate pace and with the same
s-1-reptiticus air skurked through the
toEr. and finally swung eastwards
Gpon the Route de Ia Corniche. sud
denly discarttrg AL pretense of docil-
ity and sweeping onward with a windy
roar. its powerful motor purring like
some gigantic uger-cat
Il carried four: ~ the Wheel q Cog
zied and ernrtsA operator IN shape
tonneau tn owner. . uidtIe-agcd
French manufacturer With poucked
eyes. a liver. laak Jaws clean-scrspsd.
and an eIpressioa OF hizh-uinded de-
votion to duty; Captain Won Einen in
Uniform; and Colonel O,Rourke
At the end a an hours run. dis
rurbed By one or two absurdly grave
conferences between the seconds. IL
appropriate mooeennes. the mechani-
clan put On IL hrakes and slo-e!
down the car. In deity swung it
Into = narrow h1A. . Ieafy tunnel
through vhieA Il eFavied for a min
Ute or two ss 6sbouching into q
broad and sunlft meadow. walled in by
woodland. eoasuas.ously secluded
To one side - 1t q little distance
second motsr0T stood at rest: its
operator had ruDeved the hood and
vas tinkertng vtfA the motor In
most matter-of{aet manner. In the
body Of the machine Monsieur lie VI
enmte des Trsbsa. ossentatiously una
ware Of the aAvsat OF the second
party. sat twisting napier points TO his
noustaches and concentrating hi
with malicious dss1gAt the nose OF the
tuelist. much ia1ansd
Advancing froa his antagonists 20
sition three prsssfnaturally serious
gentlemen Of France In black frock
coats and ssraight-hrimmed silk hats
vzded ankle deep In dripping grass to
meet O'Rourks's Representatives
The two parties net. sairted one an
other With Immense reserve. and re-
tired to . suitable distance to con-
fer; something which they did word
turesqus gestures At nrst strangely
smicabls. the proceedings soon struck
a snag. A serious difference of opin-
Ion arose. ORourke OWNED that the
conference had gone into executive
session upon the question Of weapons.
He treated himself to q secret grin.
having anticipated this trouble.
The choice Of weapons being his.
as the challenged. he had modestly Sc
iected revolvers and had brought with
him brace Of webleys. burly pieces
Of pocket ordnance with short barrels
and cylinders chambered to hold half
= 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 ut sight OF them
the friends Of the vicomte recoiied In
horror.
Eventually a compromise was ar
rived at. Monsieur Juiliinrd stepped
bach. saluted. and with Won Einem re-
turned to his principal. his face n
mask of disappointment. As for him
self. he told O'Rourke. he was DESC
Anhcot oot tho ccSohos VI shohsiCuh uSn
Trebes had positively refused to con-
sent to turning a meeting of honor
into a 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 Juilliard's hand.
O'Rourke blinked and smiled at It.
Sure" he contended. its a magnify
ing glass I need to make II visible to
me undressed- eye. What the divvle
does It carry-a dried pea? What
d'they think we're here for. II not to
Stay one another with due ceremony!
Ask them that. Am I to salve the
vicomte's wounded honor by smiling
him with q spitball? grant ye. It's
magnificent. but It's not n pistol
GrumblinE he allowed himself to
be persuaded. As he had foreseen and
prophesied. SO had Il come to pass.
Yet he had to grumbis. partly because
he was the oRourke. partly for Of.
feet.
None the less. he consented. and In
the highest spirits loft the car and
plowed through the lush wet grass
to the spot selected for the encounter,
In the shadow Of the trees near tho
eastern border Of the meadow. Here.