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"I'll be hanged if it is not the Pendulum,” returned Peregrine; "I must have steered very badly indeed; we must keep inclining to the leftI was as nearly against it as possible, but I just saw the top in time."

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"I am afraid," said Jenks, we shall have a series of blunders before this affair is over; and if we, who know the road so well, have all this difficulty, how will they manage, who are quite strangers to it."

"I sure I don't know," rejoined Peregrine; "we shall have to wait I suppose till the fog clears away."

"Pleasant that will be, very," said Mr. Jenks; "but here we are on the road again."

"Yes; and we had better keep to it now; I will drive slower. What a morning it is!"

Peregrine directed the syces to keep his eye upon the road, which was indeed but imperfectly marked out upon the grass, and, by driving slowly and cautiously, he at last contrived to reach the spot to the left of the "butts," which had been agreed upon as the place of meeting.

"Is this it?" asked Julian Jenks, as his companion pulled up with a jerk, which almost brought the horse back upon its haunches.

"Yes," said Peregrine, "but they will never find their way now-I don't know what we must do."

"We must be patient-the sun has risen by this

time, and we shall be able to see better soon-my hair is quite wet with the fog."

"And mine," said Peregrine, " as though I had been bathing-we will tell the syces to go along the road and look out for their buggy."

Peregrine gave directions to the groom, who was tying up the reins to the splash-board of the buggy, and seeing that the horse was well-inclined to stand still, passed his arm through Julian's, and said, "Well! this is a bad business, certainly-we had better keep together at all events-or we shall lose one another presently."

"What a fearful nuisance it is-by the bye, where are the pistols?"

"Oh! do not think about them," said Peregrine, "there is no use in pouring out the nauseous draft, and holding it under the patient's nose an hour before it is to be taken."

Julian laughed, and said, "Why, the truth is, I was thinking, that if we were to load at once with blank-cartridges

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Peregrine stood aghast-" Why, what do you mean?"

"Not what you think I do apparently," returned Julian, "and yet you surely never could have thought me guilty of proposing that I merely wish to suggest, my good fellow, the advisability of loading at once with blank cartridge and beginning blazing away with all our might. They might hear us you know, Peregrine, and understand the signalthey might "

He had scarcely uttered these words, before the syces came running up to the young gentlemen and informed them, that he had heard a carriage of some sort not very far away, but he thought it had turned off to the right. The man added, that he

could still hear it.

Peregrine took off his cap, brushed aside the curls which fell over his ear, and put himself in a listening attitude.

"Can you hear any thing?" asked Jenks.

"Yes-yes-the jingling of carriage-wheelsthey sound as though they were loose."

"It must be a crahanchy,* then," observed Jenks. "No, I think not-it sounds like a buggy with bad axles-I will hail them, at all events."

Peregrine shouted out. "This way—this way," and the syces set up a sort of loud yell, which he continued at the extremest stretch of his voice for more than a minute. These noises seemed to have the desired effect, for the jingling of the wheels grew plainer and plainer. They are coming, I think," said Peregrine.

"Thank God!" cried Jenks, "I can see their heads, I think, over the fog."

Peregrine went forward and hailed the buggy. He was not mistaken; Captain Thornhill was driving, and the long cornet, wrapped up in a blue cloth cloak, was huddled up in the opposite

corner.

* Bullock carriage.

"It is a miserable morning," said Peregrine, “I don't know what we are to do-an elephant would scarcely be visible at twelve paces

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"Let me speak to you for a minute," interrupted Captain Thornhill, springing out of the buggy"can nothing be done to settle matters?"

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I am afraid not," returned Peregrine; "this is not an affair of a day or a week. We have long scores of enmity to settle. I would fain see my friend withdraw altogether, and take the matter into my own hands; but as you say, that this is impossible, we must proceed with the present business, as it is. I think the fog is clearing off a little."

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Well, then, fog or no fog, let us go to work— we can see well enough for such a business as this -do you consent?"

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Yes," returned Peregrine-" let us send the buggies out of the way a little, for fear that any accident should happen-they had better stand in this direction. I will measure the paces.'

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Very good," said Captain Thornhill, “do so -the fog is clearing off, I think; I can see the sun there, it is some distance up, but like a London sun-how wet my whiskers are."

Peregrine had a sword-stick in his hand; he drew the blade, stuck it into the sod and stepped out twelve paces. When he halted and turned about on his heels, he could not see the part of the sword-stick which he had left at the other end of VOL. III.

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the "ground," but it was a small object, and the fog, though clearing up above, was as dense as ever below. With a little difficulty he managed to erect the bamboo sheath of his sword-stick as a mark at the further point of the twelve pace distance, and then having taken the pistols out of his buggy he called Jenks to come to him.

"For the last time, my dear friend, I ask you whether you will apologize?" said Peregrine Pultuney.

"Never!"

"Do-do-he shall not escape, I promise you. Let this matter be settled, and I will begin another on my own account."

"There is but one way of settling it-load the pistols. God bless you!"

"Give me your hand-God prosper you." Peregrine loaded the pistols.

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Here, Julian, you must stand here. Captain Thornhill, you can see the mark-the ground is level there are no advantages of place-it does not matter where they stand."

In a minute they were standing opposite to one another, the long cornet and Julian Jenks. The latter had apparently the advantage, for he was the shorter of the two, and his head was dimly seen through the fog, whilst that of the long cornet, though not distinct, was more so than that of his adversary. Not, however, that this really constituted an advantage, for the two parties were not coolly and deliberately firing at a mark.

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