"Well, not much, squire. I tore off the challenge neat as anything, and folded up the blank leaf in its own folds and put it back in the hungwallop, and gummed it up all nice as wax, and nicer, too; and then my scamp come down in his Sunday clothes, and took it up quick and put it in his pocket, and off with him, without any suspicion that he was a-carrying away a blank and a-leaving the challenge in my hands!" "If you had wished to stop the duel, why hadn't you thrown the whole letter into the fire?" demanded Roland. "Because, my fine, young chanticleer, you'd a-gone right straight off to Greenbushes and got another one writ, and took it to the colonel right off. Whereas, my letting you go on a fool's errand give me time and chance to come to the squire and fetch the evidence along with me. And, as it was too late to start that night, and I knowed you couldn't fight the duel till to-day noways, I waited until this morning, and I got up and eat my breakfast by candlelight, and set off on my old mule for this place afore sunrise. And I made the complaint to the squire here, and give him the evidence, and called on him to make out a warrant and have you both took up and fetched here, to answer for your misdeeds, and to be dealt with according to law. And he did what I required on him, which was no more than his duty, if you had been his own dear sons. And here you are! Yes, you two there, standing agin' the mantelpiece! It is bad enough, the Lord knows, sez I. But it is not so bad as murder and hanging, sez I, nor yet the State prison, and working in chains! There, squire, I think that is all I have got to say about this, and may the Lord have mercy on their souls!" "One moment," said the squire, handing over the intercepted challenge. "Is this the written paper that you took out from the envelope directed to Col. Anglesea and left by Mr. Bayard on your mantelpiece?" "Why, to be sure it is!" said Miss Sibby, as she took it into her hand and examined it. "That will do! Leonidas Force, come forward." Le stepped up to the table. "Are you the writer of this challenge, directed to Col. Anglesea, and bearing your signature?" queried Mr. Force, passing over the document in question to the young man. "Yes, sir, I am the author of that challenge," said Le, after a glance at the paper. "You have heard the charge laid against you. What have you to say in defense?" questioned the squire. "Nothing. The charge is substantially true, barring the bad names with which the witness has complimented me. I deny that I am a 'warmint,' a 'wild cat,' a 'wolf,' a 'tiger,' a 'panther' or a 'rhine-horse-o-rus,'" said Le, laughing; "but I wrote the challenge, and I intended to fight the duel." "You admit this?" "Entirely." "That will do. Sit down." Le dropped into the only vacant chair, and awaited the next move. "Roland Bayard, come forward," said the squire. The young man came, and stood respectfully before the squire.