Chapter 21

           Onceoutside,themajortooknofurtherpartintheaffair.Asthecommandingofficerofthepost,itwouldhavebeenoutofplaceforhimtohavegivenencouragementtoafightevenbyhisinterferingtoseethatitshouldbeafairone.This,however,wasattendedtobytheyoungerofficers;whoatoncesetaboutarrangingtheconditionsoftheduel.

           Therewasnotmuchtimeconsumed.Thetermshadbeenexpressedalready;anditonlyremainedtoappointsomeoneofthepartytosuperintendtheringingofthebell,whichwastobethesignalforthecombattocommence.

           Thiswasaneasymatter,sinceitmadenodifferencewhomightbeentrustedwiththeduty.Achildmighthavesoundedthesummonsfortheterribleconflictthatwastofollow.

           Astranger,chancingatthatmomenttorideintotherudesquareofwhichthehotel"RoughandReady"formednearlyaside,wouldhavebeensorelypuzzledtocomprehendwhatwascomingtopass.Thenightwasratherdark,thoughtherewasstilllightenoughtomakeknownthepresenceofaconglomerationofhumanbeings,assembledintheproximityofthehotel.Mostwereinmilitarygarb:since,inadditiontotheofficerswhohadlatelyfiguredinsidethesaloon,others,alongwithsuchsoldiersaswerepermittedtopassthesentries,hadhasteneddownfromtheFortonreceivingintelligencethatsomethingunusualwasgoingonwithinthe"square."

Настройки
Фон страницы
Размер шрифта
Межстрочный интервал
Фразовые глаголы
Показать / Скрыть меню
Шрифт
Roboto Lora
Уведомления
Страница 218 из 857