And so saying, she rode up to him and offered him the choice of the

pistols.

He laughed--partly in surprise and partly in admiration, as he said,

with seeming good humor: "Miss Black, you are a very charming young woman, and delightfully

original and piquant in all your ideas; but you outrage all the laws

that govern the duello. You know that, as the challenged party, I have

the right to the choice of time, place and arms. I made that choice

yesterday. I renew it to-day. When you accede to the terms of the

meeting I shall endeavor to give you all the satisfaction you demand!

Good-morning, miss."

And with a deep bow, even to the flaps of his saddle, he rode past her.

"That base insult again!" cried Capitola, with the blood rushing to her

face.

Then lifting her voice, she again accosted him: "Mr. Le Noir!"

He turned, with a smile.

She threw one of the pistols on the ground near him, saying: "Take that up and defend yourself."

He waved his hand in negation, bowed, smiled, and rode on.

"Mr. Le Noir!" she called, in a peremptory tone.

Once more he turned.

She raised her pistol, took deliberate aim at his white forehead, and

fired-Bang! bang! bang! bang! bang! bang!

Six times without an instant's intermission, until her revolver was

spent.

When the smoke cleared away, a terrible vision met her eyes!

It was Craven Le Noir with his face covered with blood, reeling in his

saddle, from which he soon dropped to the ground.

In falling his foot remained in the hanging stirrup. The well-trained

cavalry horse stood perfectly still, though trembling in a panic of

terror, from which he might at any moment start to run, dragging the

helpless body after him.

Capitola saw this danger, and not being cruel, she tempered justice

with mercy, threw down her spent pistol, dismounted from her horse,

went up to the fallen man, disengaged his foot from the stirrup, and,

taking hold of his shoulders, tried with all her might to drag the

still breathing form from the dusty road where it lay in danger of

being run over by wagons, to the green bank, where it might lie in

comparative safety.

But that heavy form was too much for her single strength. And, calling

her terrified groom to assist her, they removed the body.

Capitola then remounted her horse and galloped rapidly into the

village, and up to the "ladies' entrance" of the hotel, where, after

sending for the proprietor she said: "I have just been shooting Craven Le Noir for slandering me; he lies by

the roadside at the entrance of the village; you had better send

somebody to pick him up."




readonlinefreebook.com Copyright 2016 - 2024