belief,
we were born there," I answered, wondering what the fellow was driving
at.

"Then you will excuse me for the disagreeable duty which I have taken
upon myself. Night before last one of you gentlemen addressed words of
an insulting nature to a brother officer. As long as he thought you were
beneath the rank of gentlemen he did not choose to notice them, but the
governor having recognized you as an equal, my friend feels that he can
safely demand satisfaction, or an ample apology for your remark."

"Why," said Fred, with a soft smile, "this looks to me like a
challenge."

"It is one," replied the Englishman.

"And I am expected to retract the words which I uttered, or be shot?"
asked Fred.

"If you are the gentleman who uttered them, I must reply, yes," answered
the officer.

"Well, upon my word. I hardly know what I did say," cried Fred. "Do you
recollect?" he added, appealing to me.

I shook my head, and remained silent. I was thinking of the danger my
friend was in, and wondering how I could get him out of it.

"I think that my friend had the hilt of his sword in his mouth, and your
allusion was to the infantile instinct which prompted him to do so,"
replied the officer, looking red in the face.

"O," laughed Fred, "did the youngster take offence at my words? Tell him
that hereafter I will swear that he was brought up on a bottle.'

"This is no apology, sir," cried the officer, inclined to laugh.

"Isn't it? Well, it's all that I am disposed to give, at present;" and
Fred helped himself to a fresh cup of coffee.

"By the way," I continued, "perhaps you have not been to breakfast. Pray
be seated, and have a dish of coffee."

The officer hesitated for a moment, but thinking, perhaps, that he could
best arrange the affair while sipping coffee, he finally took his seat
upon an old box, while Smith helped him to a cracked cup minus a saucer.

"Then there is no way of arranging this little affair, is there?" asked
the officer, whom we now understood was Lieutenant Merriam.

"O, yes, there are half a dozen ways," replied Fred, coolly. "In the
first place, your friend can withdraw his challenge--"

"Never!" exclaimed the officer, firmly. "We feel too deeply injured."

"And in the next place, I can refuse to accept it," Fred continued,
without noticing the interruption.

"But you will apologize," cried Merriam, eagerly. "Say that you will do
that, and I will take my leave."

"Then I shall do no su