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Show 174 RICHARD llUB.DJS. overcome, to bcl10ld the combat in which I could bcnr no part. I saw that the only chance of my com part ion was in flight. Onr Cllemies, as if Ly magic, had sprung up around us like the teeth of the dragon. rrhcrc were no less than seven persons in the room besides ourselves. ' Vith my utmost voice I commanded "Villiam to fly. lie saw, in the same instant with myself, the utter inability of any efforts which he migM mak e, n_nd the c1ick of a pistol~cock in the hands of a fellow behind me was a warning too sig11ificant to Lc trifled wit!l. \Vith a single look at me, which fully convinced me of the pang which he felt at being compelled to ]cave me in such a. situation, J1c sprang through the entrance, :mel in another moment had disappeared from sight. tV cbbcr and three others immediately rushed off in pursuit, leaving me in the custody and at the mercy of tho three remaining. THE H.UFFIAN CONFERENCE. 175 CHAPTER XXIV. TilE Jlut' FIAN CO N l~E!U:NCB. "How SLulJLoruly this fellow answered me I" llt:.\ UMQ)';T ANI> FLETCIIY.n. "\Vu EN, more complacently, I looked around, and into the faces of my c11ptors, wlmt was my smprise to behold in the most turbulent t.hc bullying gambler with whom I l1ad refused to pl:ty at the tavern in 'fnscaloosa! The countenance of the rascal pl:tiuly showed that he rcmcmLerccl the transaction. 'l'hcre was n. complacent nnd t rimnphnnt grin upon his lips, whicl1, as I coulcl not then punish him, added to the bitterness of my situation. I triccl to turn :tW:ly from rcgardiug him, but the relative situation in which we were now placed was but too grateful to his menu and malicious soul, and , dwnging his posi~ tion to correspond with min£', he continued to face me with a degree of coldness which could only be ascribed to his perfect consciousness of my inability to strive with him. I felt that my anger woultl be not only vain to 1·cstraiu him in his impudence, but, must, from its impotence, only provoke him to an increased indulgence of it, besides giving him u degree of satisfaction which I was too little his friend to desire. I accordingly fi.xcd my eyes upon l1im with as much cool indifference as I could of a sudden put into them, and, schooling my lit}S to a &Ort of ut~ t crance which fell far short of the fevcrisl1 wrath in my bosom, I thus addressed him:- "If you arc the same person who would have cheated me at cards in 'fuscaloosa a few days ago, I congratulate you upon a sudden increase of valor. You have improved amazingly in a very short space of time, and, though I can not say that your courage is even now of the right kind, yet there's no saying |
