in the garden
with his sister, sipping his _demitasse_ and inhaling the fragrant aroma
of a Havana, he began to feel the return of his nerve. In fact, had he
been approached on the subject, he would have admitted that he felt like
a fighting-cock, in just the proper condition to quarrel with his
nephew. Happily for the Colonel, the subject of his thoughts came
sauntering into view at this juncture, and he squared himself, assuming
an aggressive attitude preparatory to the encounter which he intended to
precipitate with all possible dispatch.

The disgusting complacency with which his nephew had taken to wearing
long trousers over his riding-boots in place of those precious balloon
breeches originally designed for lackeys but since adopted as a becoming
apparel for a gentleman, affected the Colonel's tender susceptibilities
to an extent almost inducing nausea. He quite forgot that he had been
guilty of a similar offense during his campaigning in the Civil War, and
naively imagined that his nephew had acquired this vulgar habit from his
friend, Mr. Yankton; a person whose lack of etiquette and easy-going
ways were enough to set his teeth on edge.

The Captain was looking for Blanch whom he had seen entering the garden
with his mother and the Colonel, but whose return to the house he had
not noticed, and he, therefore, walked unsuspectingly into the arms of
his uncle.

"I wish you would get rid of that infernal horse of yours," began the
Colonel by way of a preliminary to the skirmish, while his nephew
seated himself unconcernedly in a chair opposite him, tilting it
backwards and leisurely crossing his legs. "He positively threatened to
devour me bodily as I passed the corral this morning."

"I suppose it's because he has not yet learned that you are my uncle,"
replied the Captain, suppressing a smile. "It's strange what dislikes he
takes to certain persons when one considers that he's as gentle as a
kitten when children are around; but I'll try to teach him to
distinguish members of the family in the future."

"Look here, Jack! I've had enough of this beating about the bush. It's
time we came to an understanding."

"There's nothing to prevent it that I can see," answered the Captain
with maddening coolness. "I was merely apologizing for an ill-mannered
horse."

"Damn your horse, sir!" cried the Colonel with increasing choler.

"Any time you are ready, dear Uncle," replied the Captain calmly, taking
a cigarette