The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1841-05-04
RH il $ G ella m e o u $ ;.
t From the Literary Messenger. sd
THE YANKEE AND THE DUELLIS1

man as Yankees generally are, but nevertheless
honest, peaeeable and wthal fond of joke; but
even when joking he accustomed TO maintain
grave and even dry conntenance, as if his face
we've made ofwood. His age might be %; he
by profession schoolmuster, and his name
was JeGed ah Bateman. ae5tg
know not whence the duellist came. He
seems to have been hanging for lumber Of years
about The villages on the frontier, living by his
wits as card player and land speculator. He was
proud, overbearing and malicious; and had been
doubly arrogant and assuming since ho had been
victorious in no less than three duels-Once he
had crippled and twice he had killed his man; max
ing by these exploits Two wives widows and five
children fatherless. Such was his fame as u duel
list that it was thought 10 be little less than suicide
for man not perfectly expert with pistol, to
meet him in the field of honor as this sort of
murderers call the place where they shoot am,
other. ..,. f s7.yt. .g.s f,s 800.
In dress and manners he fop and swag-
gerer. His red bushy whiskers almost met his
chin; his shirt RIFLES were long and projecng his
cravat stuffed with padding until it almost bur
| led his chin; and his be crowned hat tilted
over his left eyebrow when he walked rather
strued along the street, swinging and Pumping
down his cane ct every step; and wheresoe lac
went he overlooked every body, and expected the
way to be cleared by high and low. iie consider
ed hmsef justified in lording it over all who
kabout him, he was the formidable man in the
town. - s ta c.--raH a,as-.tss 1 g..
| If any peaceful, worthy man did not cover at
his presence, he sure 10 the supposed in
dignity by sneers aud insults. Many the
pompous gibes and bombastic witticsms that he
discharged from day TO day at the schoomaster
| JedeCIah Bateman, who did not humble himself
| like dog before the high and mighty Major Aon.
go Dashwcll Bickerton, the duelist sty led him
SELF. He protested 10 have borne a majors COM
mission in the westei army, and often boosted Of
his exploits in Gen. Waynes expedition against
the Indians. Some people doubted in their hearts
whether he had been in that expedition at all, he
cause he gave some erroneous accounts of marches
and battles; but they doubted only in their hearts,
for who would dare TO insinunie, The suspicion OF
lnsehood TO tho majors terrible self; the majors
tongue might err, hut his pistol was nevertheless
tue Who would have thought that our dry fac.
ed Yankee school master would, first of all, have
the hardhood TO retort the sneers and insults Of
| this hero orhe pistol? He bore several of these
| attacks with the utmost composure. Nota muscle
of his face charged his habitual fxedness, NOT a
drop more less blood colored in his cheek; nei-
Their word look indicated the slightest feeling of
| the bully satire. lie charged the artillery OF his
wit with still he ayier loads of turgid phrases? TO
express his contempt for the schoolmaster. Still
the Yankee WINGED not; lie only began with the so
beres and most unfeeling gravity to utter some re-
parties dry and grating the sands of Arabia,
yet perfectly free ffom open insult to Incense
tie ducllists pride without furnishing him with n
preext to take offence.-But the natural malignity
OF his temper em5itered by The schoolmas-
l. ~. 4
gan 10 insult him outraged usTy all occasions,
| with The obv ious intention Of provoking deadly
quarrel with him.
] Still the Yankee persevered in his impurtabIe
GOODNESS, and replied only by jokes and sarcasms
of the most impen itiable hardness. The bully's
rage became unbeunded,And the Yankees friend s
soon saw that the affair would soon TO person
al violence. But their kind endeavors were VAN
to persuade Jededinh to soothe the bullys rage
I IF you mortify his pride any fnrther,' said they
she will assault you, and you viii have to let him
bea, you with his cane, or shoot you with his pis
toll .it t@ V'E 3 F"' ''Ns
Il shall let him do neither, guess, said the
Yankee. ~ b''2 Ef"t
: slow will you prevent HIM?
4 sYou will see when the time comes was the Fl
nal reply.
The same evening, at supper, the dpelst, as US
uaI began to utter something designed TO provoke
the Yankee. At frst, Jedediah gave no heed. tt
, make his first attack more irect, the bully pro-
ceaed, he had often done aud as tops and addle
pates often do, to cypress his contempt TO school
plasters, Epedagognes, as lie and other tops USED
to call them. Seeing that Jedediah still paid no a
: tention, he addressed him superciIousy in these
\ words: S M
q tCoine Sir Pedagogue, your silent; be so cor
descending to illustrate your profession ny inform
ing us how many ideas you have bastinadoed into
} the posteriors of your boys to day ,s,- ~. Al
, Not one, sir, said Jedediab--the1 boys do no
carry their ideas in their poseriors however they
/, may have done in your boyis' days a
Y 'rhe .deuce,, do you say so, MIR, Pedasogne
4 Well then give US a philosophical reason why you
Y apply your bIrchen instrument with such inpetto