The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-18

y
him: "Tell him to challenge me; | will
meet him in the field of honor" When
this message was first delivered to the du-
ellist, he only raved and swore the more
fiercely, and demanded immediate access
10 the insolcnt pedagogue that he might
drive a ball through his heart He was
gradually reduced to reason, however, by
the argument of a lawyer in the party,
who told him that if he killed the yankee
now, he would be liable to punishment
as murderer, but that he might shoot
him on the field Of honor without getting
himself into the fangs of the law. The
duelli5t felt the force of the argument:
for in those days even an honorable gen.
tleman in fine coat and ruillcd shirt,
was in some danger of being hanged for
willul murder. Now-only the friend
less and beggarly murderers are liable TO
the galows. But then, as now, the muir
dsrer i'll Il duel had nothing to fear from
the law, but might be raised to the high
est honors by popular favor. Therefore,
Bickerton, being somewhat cooled by this
argument, and believing that he could sa-
tate his malice as certainly in duel as
by instant assassination, returned to his
room and pcnned a challenge in due form,
according TO the code of honor. Bate
man promptly accepted it. to the dismay
of his friends, who now looked upon him
as no better than dead man. He had
the right, as the challenged party, to pre-
scribe the terms of the fight. They were
TO meet on the next day at the great Indi-
an mound, about half mile from the
town, in a dense forest: they were to
have no seconds, but were to stand ten
yards apart, and either Of them might fire
al pleasure, after calling out to the other
'stop,-take care of yoursclfW Their
friends might stand fifty yards off, to see
that these terms were duly observed; but
were not TO interfere unless they were
violated. Nearly every man wished the
yankee success, but expected only to sec
him killed at the first fire.
The duellst demurred at first to the
extraordinary terms prescribed by the
schoolmaster; but he finally accedcd to
them, feeling sure of his own quickness
of hand, and doubted not that he could
pierce the heart whose blood he so Gag
crly thirsted for.
SO, on the next day at the appointed
hour, the redoubtable major strutted forth
to the field Of honor, with well charged
brace Of pistols wrapped up in handker
chicrand stuck under his left arm. When
in sight of the mound, he cast his eyes
about in search of his adversary but no
yankee appeared. He moved slowly on
wards, keeping sharp look out for his
man, and licking his lips in preparation
for the expected feast Of blood. The for
est was always dusky with shade in that
place, and the morning fog still fingered
in its damp recesses. When he came so
near the mound as to see it and the trees
about it distinctly, he was certain that the
schoolmaster had not arrived, and began
with feelings Of disappointed revenge TO
curse him aloud for cowardly knavc, a
base polroOn and chicken-hcarted white
livered pedagoguc.
He was pouring forth these impreca-
tons, and lengthening them out with all
honorable DULLES, when he was stopped
in mid carer by an unexpected phenom-
enon. On reaching little open plot near
the mound, he struck his foot against a
long pole that had been laid across the
path and at the same instant voice Of
thunder smote his ears with the words,
Stop take care of yourselfH He did
stop in great surprise, and looked towards
! the place from which the voice had come,
but he saw only the huge trunk of tree
that stood by the mound, ten yards from
the pole at which he stopped. He had
, no time for deliberalon: the voice thund
4 cred again, Take care of Yourself; III
blow your brains out;' and now he saw
distinctly the muzzel of great blunder
h buss pointed towards him from behinC
e the tree, and the yankees eye at the butt
: taking aim, while the tree concealed hi'
: body. The duclist was taken so off hi
;, guard, that he stood COMPOUNDED for al
II instant; but as the expected shot did no
). come, he began to tumble under lis arm
l. for his pistols bat he no sooner began
Y to unwrap them, than the yankee calle
o out, in the most decided tone, drop YOU
d pistols or I'll shoot YOU" The bull
Ie hesitated. drop EN-, tell you, or L
blow nine buckshot into you, as soon q
\, count three mind now--one two =