A STRANGE BET

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8186, 18 July 1906, Page 7

A STRANGE BET

(Speoially written for the Age by Ruht Reich.) PAKT L—Continued. Two judges and a stakeholder were appointed; all men of integrity. A few minutes before the appointed hour of the day on which the famous bet wau to be decided, the doors of the "Germania" were thrown open for the admission of interested spectators, who were, '"mirubile diotu," kept from encroaching on the space reserved for the principals and officials in this momentous matter by no greater obstacle than that of four well-marked chalk lines. At the first stroke of the hour the judges entered the saored space—at the last, the baron attended by Nie, and having a firm hold of Bennie, faced them. "Poor Benniei When, at the last moment possible, he had been informed of his part in the comedy to be enacted, he would btve gladly baaked out of bis bargain, had he bad a ohance of doing so, for that awful English lord with his deliberate stare and his ready fists, with his inscrutable manner and torpedo like actions beaeated him or l*y upon him heavily. But the equally formidable Nix was present and barred all chance of escape. The vibrations of the sonorous chimed had scarcely died away when the stakeholder from his place behind the judges, famous artists they, read out in a clear, voice tho terms of the wager in the midst of a profound silence. "Is what has been read the oorreot exposition of the case before this court?" queried one of the judges. Both the contestants bowed in assent.

"Then let the feature in question be exhibited." Nix's nose was still in lint, a fact which caused no surprise; for a little theatrical display of dexterity in the unveiling of monuments makes Buab ceremonies by as much more interesting as the unity of time and action is observed. The baron, to the wonderment of the spectators 1 missed the olimasterio point of denouement, of promptly unveiling his proboscis to the expectant gaze of the eager spectators, he pushed the reluotant Ben nie to the front, and, bowing pro foundly to the arbitors of the wager, addressed to tbem the following oration:

"Most honoured judges, you are about to give your decision on a delicate feature concerning which every right-minded and properly brought up Christian is as highly sensitive as a Mussulman is about bis beard. Nobody tolerates with equanimity its being pulled or otherwise profaned.

Nature in one of her oburlish fleaks has condemned me, to the reluotant possession of an organ which is an ever recurring oause of offenoe to my aesthetic taste, whenever I am oompelled to contemplate it in my looking-glass. Lord Pastfoot's rapier has put a climax to my natal misfortune.

My friend, Bennie, found, however, means to pull me from the slough of despond, by consenting, for a peouniary consideration, to make me thejowner of his handsome nose, thus enabling me to submit to your inspection a nassl organ unsurpassed in artistic merits. My friends will rejoice at my good fortune, and my enemies will be gratified at the justification of the epithet with which they have honoured me that of 'the double-nosed baron.' Please to examine this deed of sale, sirs." "Bennie," turning to that distressed individual,' "submit my nose to the inspection of the court."

A moment, of wondering silence I Then, the ludiorousness of the joke unchained a long-continued uproar of laughter. Even Fastfoot joined in it. But even before the gasps of physical exhaustion put a stop to oaobination, a mood might have been observed in some parts of the crowd. Cries of "Put-up jobl" "Diddled, by jovei" "Sold by a Dutchman!" came from a number of Albionites. Disappointment is always unpalatatablejloss of wager is disappointing. His Lordship alone did not participate in the general excitement. Taking advantage of the first lull in the babble around bim, he insisted on the carrying out of the judges' funotion whioh dia not inolade jurisdiction of equity as to the baron's aotion. Pastfoot's partisan's reluctantly oonsented to his proposal, under the condition that the question of 'fairness' be submitted to a special tribunal thereafter. The decision of the question before the court was in favour of the baron. There were some who afterwards

declared that Bonnie's or Nix's nose, which ever you like to call it underwent more than one vigorouu pull under the manipulation of t*e judges. Still, they decided that it was an organ of perfect shape, free from blemieh and of delicate texture.' Forthwith a court of equity was enrolled. Three senior students of the law, and not interested in the wager were impressed, noleus voleus, with great promptitude and a universal aoolam of confidence. These were arbiters witnodt aDpeal. Two able students of ancient and modern jurisprudence were' eleoted as advocates on the opposed sides. Then the case was duly opened. That both counsels did their duty with adroitness was evident from the frequent plaudits that greeted their points and sallies. We, to our regret, are constrained to confess our inability to record the wondrous display of their briiliancy and acumen which oar informant witnessed, but forgot to describe to us in detail. For the same reason we also oannot record the masterly summing up of the learned judges. Their judgment, however,was unani mously in favour of Nix on the following points: (To be oontinued).