gh it might be the fault of the
Cowles' blood to accept any sort of challenge, it was not our way to
regret that so soon as the day following.

The grounds for the match had been arranged at the usual place, near to
the edge of the military reservation, and here, a half hour before the
time set, there began to gather practically all of the young officers
about the Post, all the enlisted men who could get leave, with cooks,
strikers, laundresses, and other scattered personnel of the barracks.
There came as well many civilians from the city, and I was surprised to
see a line of carriages, with many ladies, drawn up back of the score.
Evidently our little matter was to be made a semi-fashionable affair,
and used as another expedient to while away ennui-ridden Army time.

My opponent, accompanied by Major Williams, arrived at about the same
time that our party reached the grounds. Orme shook hands with me, and
declared that he was feeling well, although Williams laughingly
announced that he had not been able to make his man go to bed for more
than an hour that morning, or to keep him from eating and drinking
everything he could lay his hands upon. Yet now his eye was bright, his
skin firm, his step light and easy. That the man had a superb
constitution was evident, and I knew that my work was cut out for me,
for Orme, whatever his profession, was an old one at the game of speedy
going. As a man I disliked and now suspected him. As an opponent at any
game one was obliged to take account of him.

"What boundary do we use, gentlemen?" Orme asked, as he looked out over
the field. This question showed his acquaintance, but none the less his
confidence and his courtesy as well, for in closely made matches all
details are carefully weighed before the issue is joined. "I am more
used to the Monaco bounds of eighteen yards," he added, "but whatever is
your custom here will please me. I only want to have a notion of your
sport."

"Our races here have usually been shot at fifty yards bounds," said
Stevenson.

"As you like," said Orme, "if that pleases Mr. Cowles."

"Perfectly," said I, who indeed knew little about the matter.

Orme stepped over to the coops where the birds were kept--splendid,
iridescent creatures, with long tails, clean, gamy heads and all the
colors of the rainbow on their breasts. "By Jove!" he said, "they're
rippers for looks, and they should fly a bit, I'm thinking. I have never
seen them before, much les