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THE WAR LIBRARY.
9
AcGT
a well beaten path through the soft mossy
turf and sweet sceuted clover.
This path through which they walked was
beautilully shaded with oak trees and
myrtie bushes, and on either side the wild
rose and honeysuckle bloomed profusely.
Alton thought he had never looked upon
a lovelier scene. .
The island seemed enchanted, and, indeed,
sits very loneliness enhanced the beauty of
its wild solitude. . .
{ Reaching the center of the islet, which
(derived its name from the profusion of
rosebuds interwoven in its rich green foli-
age, our friends perceived an open space,
which Sprague declared would suit their
purpose admirable; and, leavi»y Daggett
’ asasentry to apprise them of the approach
of. the ‘enemy,’ Sprague and our hero
seated themselves upon the dewy turf, each
engrossed iu his own reflections.
In the jnterval between the time of ac-
ceptance of the challenge and that appoint-
ed forthe meeting, four days had elapsed,
during which Sprague, with a zeal worth
of a better cause, had managed to teae
Newton to handle a sword very scientifical-
ly, so he confidently assured him, if bis
courage kept up, he would certainly acquit
himself nobly. ‘
Alton consulted his .watch repeatedly
while awaiting the arrival of Dikert, and
Colonel Sprague was too old a soldier not to
notice by bis impatience and nervousness
that hehad many natural misgivings regard-
ing the result of this sanguinary meeting.
** Keep a stiff upper lip, Newton, my boy,”
he advised, adding: “if I see you are get-
ting the worst of it, VlLinterfere andstop the
affair; but for Heaven’s sake dou’t give that
insinuating whelp the chance to crow over
Alton made no reply, but Sprague saw by
his actions that he was making a powerful
effort to overcome any evidence of weak-
ness which he had heretofore displayed.
“Hello! here comes Daggett,” exclaimed
Sprague, suddenly, springing to his feet and
dusting off his clothes with his broad hand.
“Enemy in sight!’ exclaimed Daggett,
waving his cap over his head, as be ran to-
ward them, breathless from his exertions.
“How many,’ queried our hero, anx-
iously. .
“Three”?
“Three,’’? he repeated
“how is that?” .
Sprague hastened to assure him that that
was all right. .
“Don't you see,” he said, ‘“there’s the
principal—his second, and, perhaps, aye
doubtless the third man, is a surgoon.”
Ashe concluded, Sprague produced two
vichly-mounted swords from their case and
switched them about, cutting the air with
their slender blades of tempered steel, a
grim look of satisfaction on his face.
“The weepins’ is all right,” observed Dag-
gett, looking on, his hands on his hips, in
admiration. Then pursuing: ‘This here,
boys, reminds meof what tuk place jist afore
the battle of ——”
“*See here, Daggett,’ thundered Sprague,
“if you say another word I'll run you
through the body with this can-opener; by
my life I will.”
“Tam silent,’”’ murmured Daggett, meek-
in astonishment,
ly. :
Tat this moment’ the forms of the three
men were observed coming up the path to-
ward the clearing.
They shortly arrived, and there was a
slight ceremony of stiff bows all around.
“You reached the field before my party,”
observed. Dikert, as he divested himself of
his coat and vest, and coolly lit a cigar.
Daggett, who had been surveying the
handsome young man, critically observed,
in alow tone, to Sprague:
*“* By George, Jack, he’s a cool ‘un, an no
mistake. I'll go odds he’ll lay out our man
in no time.” .
“Hfusb!’’? admonished Sprague, impatient-
ly, as he saw Newton stripped to his shirt
and pants, quietly awaiting the moment for
‘time’ to be called.
Then stepping out into the center of the
clearing, he observed:
‘Gentlemen, are you ready?”
“We are!’ came the simultaneous re-
sponse; and both men took their positions,
Dikert throwing away his cigar as they stood
face to face. |
Sprague allowed Dikert to select his weap-
on, and then handed the remaining sword to
Newton. .
The signal being agreed upon, Dikert’s
second, aman named Hoffner, was to drop
a handkerchief after counting three, whep
the combat was to commence forthwith.
119
A moment later there was a clash of. ring-
ing steel, as the snaky weapons met and
wound around each other.
Clash, clang! rang the elastic weapons,
and soon, in the heat of the fray, the sparks
began to fly from the tempered steel.
_ Dikert proved himself an excellentswords-
man, but in Alton Newton he soon recog-
nized a foe worthy cf his steel.
For fully twenty minutes the sword con-
tinued to flash about in the morning sun-
light and keep up their metallic clatter with-
out apparent advantage to either of the con-
testants. Then the cold perspiration stood
outin great beads upon our hero’s forehead,
and his tace grew ashy pale.
Dikert was forciug him back step by step,
and with a fiendish leer he called upon our
hero to give in.
‘* Never!” exclaimed Newton, in exaspera-
tion, as he rallied his flagging energies and
faced his enemy once more.
He was now fully determined to die if
need be, rather than acknowledge the su-
premacy of hisrival; and with this deter-
mination exerted all his strength to drive
his impetuous adversary back. Failing in
this, he resorted to a clever little trick
which Sprague had taught him, and by a
feint ata thrust, turned into a sudden side
stroke succeeded, amid the applause of the
four spectators, in knocking the sword out
of Dikert’s hand and sent it whirling into a
dense thicket at the left, narrowly wissing
the red head of the Crimean hero in its
ignt,
Dikert pow disarmed, was apparently at
the mercy of his opponent, who was already
smiling bis satisfaction and in the act of
lowering his sword, when the treacherous
scoundrel, Dikert, suddeniydrew a revolver
from bis pocket, and before anybosly could
stop him, sent a bullet flying at the head of
our hero,
Fortunately, however, in his excitement
he missed his mark, when at that very mo-
ment, losing his footing, hefejl forward, and
to the speechless amazement of our hero,
lauded full upon the razor-like point of bis
sword, which he had half raised again as the
pistol flashed.
Astream of bright crimson spurted from
Dikert’s left breast in the region of the
heart, his dark eyes rolled back in his head,
a spasm of infinite pain flitted across bis
face, anda convulsive shiver enveloped his
frame,as he gasped:
“My soul, Newton, you have killed me!”
and he rolled over upon the ground motion-
less, his limbs rigid as in death, and his |
hands firmly clenched together over his
wound,
For a moment Newton stood like a graven
statue, dazed at the awful tragedy in which
he had just involuntarily participated.
He was aroused from his apathy by
Sprague, who shook him quickly, exclaim-
ug:
‘For heaven’s sake, Alton, come quick,
already the officers of the law are upon our
track.”
The fact was the news of the proposed
duel had leaked out, and_ several blue-coats
were dispatched to Rosebud Island for the
purpose of preventing the meeting and, if
possible, of apprehending the principals,
and they were now seen hastening up the
path toward the scene of the tragedy.
Alton, deadly pale and trembling in every
‘limb, allowed ‘himself to be dragged away
into the woods by Sprague, where they
were quickly followed by Daggett.
‘Ts he dead ?” gasped Alton, as soon as he
could recover his breath, in accents of in-
tense horror.
“Yes, you cooked his goose for him, and
it served the dastardly scoundrel right!
You beat him in a fair fight, and then he
shotinto your very face. By my life, you
did well to cut him down!” said Sprague,
excitedly.
“ But,’ interposed Newton, “I did not
cut him down. I had no such intention.
He fell upon my sword. It was purely acci-
dental, I assure you.”
“Ah, boy,” returned Sprague, shaking his
head dolefully, “it looked so much like a
deliberate thrust at his heart that you can
never convince anybody to the contrary,
But here comes the police. Run, run for
your lifel’”’
All three resumed their speed, dodging
among the treesand heading for the river,
endeavoring to reach the spot where their
boat was moored.
It was an exciting chase, the bluecoats
following themn up hotly, and ever and
anon snapping a shot at them from their re-
volvers.
Reaching the boat, they tumbled in quiok-
ly, and shoved off into thestream with great
alacrity. .
‘Pull for the opposite shorv,” command-
ed_ Sprague, as he himself seized an oar.
“We'll try and chmb into the six o’elock
train for New York. It goes very slowly as
it passes over the bridge near D——”
The danger now was that the police would
follow them up with their boat, but, fortu-
nately for the fugitives, they did not appear
upon the shore before pursuit was out of
the question, for Alton’s boat was provided
With a sail, which had been hoisted.
In the course of half an hour they reached
the bridge down stream some six miles on
the opposite side of the river, where in due
time the morning express for New York
thundered across the structure at a very
slow pace, so that all three were enabled to
board the last car easily and without any
risk of personal injury.
The police whom they had thus so clever-
ly eluded supposed they had gone on steadi-
ly down stream, and made preparation to
follow their boat, which they had sets
adrift, and which was now a mere sneck on
the surface of the blue waters, whirling
about at the mercy of wind and wave.
CHAPTER X.
MEADOW BROOK.
The charming hermitage at which dwelt
the fair Alm@ Garland was situated just
west of the village of Woodstock and on the
suburbs of a hamlet known as Crestline, at
the foot of the Great North Mountain
range, and was known as ‘* Meadow Brook.”
It was celebrated for its fine dairy farms,
Garland owning over sixty acres of fine '
meadow land, through which flowed a clear
crystal brook, hence the derivation of the
na .
Besides the above valuable farm, which
was dotted here and there with from forty
to fifty cows, vast apple and peach orchards
stretched away to thé back of the cottage,
while a large trellis, covered with grape-
vines, upon which the luscious fruit was
just assuming the purplish tints, covered
the side entrance and filled the air with rare ,
fragrance.
‘Lhe prospect from the fine veranda under
these arching vines where I spent many a
pleasant bour while convalescing was truly
grand and impressive; indeed, magnificent.
Our elevated position afforded ns a fine
view of the far-famed Valley of Virginia;
of its verdant farms, sparkling rivers, blue
crested mountains and sleeping hamlets;
while far away to the south could be dis-
tinetly discovered the steeples and chim-
neys of New Market. It seemed indeed a
pity that this beautiful valley was destined
to be ravaged and laid waste by the devas--
tating hand of civil war,
I appeared to regain my health and
strength wonderfully under the inspiring
sights; the cool, bracing mountain air, and
the sunny smiles of charming Alma Gar-
land.
One bright summer afternoon, the third,
day after my arrival at this beautiful spot,
I seated myself at the western extremity of
the veranda for the purpose of contemplat-
ing the glorious sunset.
All along toward Crestline were gloomy
forests, through which the long, dusty road
wound. :
To the left were more gloomy forests,
towering mountains and yawning preci-
pices; while further down the rangeI could
trace quaint little villages clinging like
birds’ nests here and there, the dark vistas
of trees and shrubs framing the background,
over which the golden sun, slowly sinking
behind the trees, cast a bright, ruddy radi-
ance.
While I was deeply immersed in the con-
templation of this beautiful scene, I heard a
soft footstep approaching, and looking up
saw the bewitching face of Alma, radiant
with happy smiles, bending over me.
Never had she appeared to me more
charming than on this golden summer even-
ng. :
She wasexceedingly fair and tall, her hair
was almost jet black, long and silky, and
smoothed down in waves over a low, broad
forehead. Her eyes were dark-blue and
very large, her features exquisitely cut, her
mouth alone being perhaps, though beauti-
fully molded, a little too full and ripe; but
let it be said, in passing, this mouth was
the soul of her face—large, mobile, warm,
passionate, yet strangely sweet—alive with
the very fire of love. —
She was clad in a tight-fitting, becoming
riding habit of dark green, with white leg-
horn hat, from which drooped a yeil of