Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1841-03-18

Jcdcdiah Batcman.
! know not whence the ducllis, came. He
seems to have been hanging for n number Of
years abou, the villages on the frontier. living
by his wits as a card player aud land specific
tor. He was proud. ovctbcaring and mali
cious and had been douhly arrogant and as
stunning since he had been victorious in no lcss
than three ducls. Once he had crippled and
twice he had killed his man making IN these
exploits two wives widows and five children
fathcrlcss. Such was his fame ns n ducllisL.
that II was thought To bc little less than sui
eide for a man no, perfectly expert with a piss
tol, 10 meet HIM in the field of honor, as this
sort of murdcters call the place where they
shoot one another.
In dress and manners he was n Top and 4
swaggcrer. His red bushy whiskcrs almost
met on his chin his shirt runlcs were lonR
and projecting his cravat was stuffed with
padding until 1t almost buried his chin and
his bell crowned hat was tilted over his lc0
eyebrow when he walked or rather s,ruttcd
along the street, swinging and Pumping down
his cane nj every step; and whcrcsocvcr no
went he overlooked every body, aud expected
the way cleared by hiah and low. He cousid.
cred himself justified IN lording il over all who
were about him, he was the most formidable
man in the town.
If any peaceful, worthy man did not cover
at his presence, he was sure to resent the sup.
posed I%ndlgni,y by snecrs and insults. Many
were the pompous gibcs and bombastic WITH
clsms tlat he discharged from day to day ut
the schoo'mnstcr, Jcdcdlah Batcmun, who did
not humble himselflik~ doAkcforc The high
and mighty or Alonzo Dashwell Bickerton,
rs the dnellist styled himself. lie protested
TO have borne n majors commission in tho
a -. e. " o..
IN Gen. Waync's expedition against the In
dams. Some people doubted IN their hearts
whether he had been in that expedition nj all,
because he gave some erroneous accounts Of
marches and battles but they doubted only in
their hearts, for who would dare 10 insinuatc,
the suspicion of Elsehood to the majors terri.
bic self; the majors tongue might err, but his
pistol was nevertheless true. Who would
have thought that our dry faced Yankee
schoolnIaster would, first of all. have the har-
dIhood To retort the snccrs and insults Of this
hero OF the pistol! He bore several of thcse
attacks with the utmost composurc. Not n
muscle Of his face changed his habitual fixed
ness, not n drop more OF less blood colorcd
in his check neither word or look Indicated
the slightest feeling of the bully's satire. 10
charged the artillery ofhis wit with silt Iicav-
Ter loads of turgid phrases; to express his con.
tempt for the schoolmastcr. Still the Yankee
WINGED no. he only began with the soberest
and most uniceling gravity 10 utter some re-
parties rs dry and grating as the sands of Ara.
bIa, yet so perfectly free from open insult MS
to incense the ducllist's pride without furnish
ing him with a pretcyt to take offence. But
the natural maIignity Of his temper was so en-.
Uttered by the schoolmastcr's notifying in
difference and icy wit, that he began to insult
him ottrnuaou-1V on oil ,rc.-,,,, u.,t a..
obvious intention Of provoking a deadly quar-
rel with him.
Still the Yankee persevcrcd in his impurta-
bic GOODNESS, and replied only by Jokes and
sarcasmS of the most impena,rnblc hardness.
The bully's rage became unbounded. and tho
Yankees friends soon saw that the affair would
soon come to personal violence. But their
KIND endeavors were vain to persuade Jcdedi-
ah to soothe the bully's rage. If you mort
iy his pride any further SAID they. he will
assault You, and You will have 10 let him beat
you with his cane, or shoot YOU with his pis-
toll
Il shall let him do neither, | guess said tho
Yankee.
'Iiow will you prevent him =
You will sec when the time comes was
the final reply.
The same evening, AT supper the ducllist,
as usual, began 10 utter something designed
To provoke the Yankee. At fret. Jcdediab
gave no heed. TO make his first attack more
direct, the bully proceeded, as he had often
done, aud as tops and ,ddle patcs Jltcn do, to
express his contempt TO s~choolmasters, or
pedagogues, as he aud other iops used 10 call
them. Seeing that Iedcdiah still paid no at
%tention, he addressed him supercllliousIy in
these words
Come, Sir Pcdagogue, YOU arc silent be
50 condcsccndIng a. to illustrate your profess
sion by informing us how many IDEAS you have
bastlnadocd INTO the po'terors Of your boys
to-day"
Not one, sir, SAID Jededialr-'the boys do
not carry their IDEAS in their posferion, how-
ever they may have done in your boyish days.
The deuce, do you say 50, Mr.. P~edagogoe /,