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

murder. Nnu -ouls tAe ffrg3lcss aud Ncggafiy muf.
rcrcfs are la e. 90 ihe gaIisw. Bot then. as now,
ic matIstrt ia a doe. baa rHiilng io fear fstm the
Isu. tut mighi BE- raised 90 TIC highest hpnof- by the
l..ulaf favor Therefore. Hrscuon. believing that
Nc U.UI8 s4uafr Its mtIrc a. certainly ia a duel az by
ius'sHt assassination. returned Co ls room and p1nned
challenge. ll form according Go the coSe Of honor
Hs'rmau promptly accepted o.. to the dusmay OF his
friends, who nao looked upon him as no better han a
dead ma". lie had she right as the challenged party
60 prvsruHc tlc terms Of fight They were 10 meet
&c icti day at ilc gtoat Indian mound, about bali a
mIc Itrn town. I3 a dense forest. they were To- have
na seconds, tut were Co stand tcn Yards apart and et-
u.t5ui t.0u might FIRE az pleasure after calling Go The
other. stop sake care at Yourself Their hclads
might stand lGy yards % 90 see ibat these terms were
duly observed bot were not go interfere unless they
were violated. Nearly every man wished the Yankee
sutcesS, but cipcctcf only 10 see him killed at the first
Gre.
Tie d5eiisi domured at frs, 10 the extraordinary
terms presented ty the schoolmasier but he finally
accc8cd Go them. feeling sure Of his q~uickness Of hand,
AMI doubted not that bc could pierce the heart whose
hood De 80 eagerly sought for.
80, un the next day, al the appointed hour. the re-
druiisbIe major stfutied forth To the field OF hono.,
with = we'll charged brace Of pistols wrapped up IN a
handkerchief and stuck under his lc6 arm. When in
siSlt Of the mound, he cast his eyes about in search OF
hIs adversary, but no Yankee appeared.
lie moved slowly onwards. keeping a sharp look out
iot bis man, aud licking bis lips 10 preparation for the
expected feast of blood. The forest was always deep
and dusky with shade IN that place, and the morning
ig sui fingered IN It's dark teccsses When be came
80 near the mound rs to see 1t and the trees about IL
distinctly, be was certain the schoolmasler had not ar
lived. and hegan with feelings OF disappointed revenge
10 curse lin aloud FOR a cowardly knave, a base poll
lroun aud a ohicken-hesfted, white liycred pedapogue.
lie was pouring forth these imprccations aud length
cn'ng them out with all the choicest terms in tho vu-
cahulty of honorable bullies, when he was stopped IN
mid career by an unexpected phenomenon. On reach
ing an open loi near the mound, he struck across the
path, and at tho same instant a voice OF thunder suoie
ms cars with the words, Stop, take care OF YOURSELF
lie did stop in great surprise, and looked towards the
place from which the voice had come, but he saw only
TIE huge trunk of a tree that stood by the mound, ten
yards from the pole at which lie stopped. lie had no
time for delihefaiiUn; the voice Numbered again
Take care Of youtself, III blow your brains out !! and
now he saw distinctly the muzzle Of a groa, blunder-
buss pointed towards him from behind the tree, and
the Yankees eye at Tie butt taking aim. while tho
tree concealed his body. The duellist was so taken off
ms guard, that he stood COMPOUNDED for an instant but
as tie expected shot did no, come, he began to tumble
under bis arms for his pistols bat he no sooner began
to unwrdp HEM than the Yankee called out, in the
most decided tone, Drop your pistols, or I'll shoot
YOU" The bully hesitaied. Drop EN-, or ] tell you,
III blow nine buck shot into YOU, as soon as | count
three, mind nOw-one two !-tht-.' lie had cock
ed his muskci, and taking what the duellis, saw a sure
aim. Before the word three was fully pronounced, the
handkerchief contaiGing the pistols fell to the ground,
whether by accident. by a paralysis Of the duellist's
nerves, or an act OF his will. we shall not undertake 10
say, however the pistols fell.
Now, said the Yankee. stepping out from behind
lhN titE. II MS llIPT slll On inc trigger, nut the
wide muzzle of the frelock elevated at an angle Of
thtly degrces,-'you have but one way 10 save your
lie. Right about face The duellist began to re-
monsirate. Face about | tell you, or I'll drive a load
Of buckshot through you, : and he began TO level his
musket as he advanced upon his adversary. The du-
eIllst laced about like n soldier. very we'll forward
march! march, | tell yon, straight TO home; or tarna.
non seize me, if don't riddle YOU with buck shot, be-
fore can count three-one, two The duellist did
not wait for the next word the angry voice was close
behind him, and the deep moulhed blunderbuss within
Two yards OF his back. He began 10 march with slow
aud rather halllng steps, very dIiieren, from his usual
strut. The company IN the neighbOring woods fell in
to the rear, iiuefng at the strange result of the duel
The line of march was pursued without in,ermission;
for whenever tie duellist attempted to hal, or speak,
the angry voice Of the Yankee drove hin on with the
threat OF buck shot.
Yankee doodle came to town,
To buy a keg o brandy!'
Mind you steps there, or III blow your brains out {"
Yankee doodle, doodle, doc,
Yankee doodle dandy
Now II happened TO be muster dav for 4 battalion Of
militia. and The streets were filling up with all sorts of
people from the country. When the crowd saw the
due!iist with thunder and lightning in his face, walk
ing along before the dry vlsaged sChOolnasie. with n
large mussct sulemnly chanting, Yankee Doodle, and
marching ~ coolly as If he drove an Ok cart, they gath.
cred themselves about them with wonder and curiosi-
~ 10 zee What these things meant. When the bully
reached tie tavern door, hundreds had assembled -
Mounting the platform before the door, he turned to
address hs indignant remonstrance to the multitude.
before he could utter a word, the Yankee cried ont,
Hail! Face to the LEFT and tell the people what a
Yankee track ! have played upon YOU
YES, foared out Bickerton, glad to vent his raging
iodlgnailon-'a derogatory, dishonorable, ungentle.
manly ivantage, Fellow ciizens, | appeal TO YOU
and the laws of honor This disreputable pedagoeue
had the aUdacious temerity, inlolerable insolence, last
night, 10 discharge into my iace-yes, ms fellow cii-
zcus. the foul and Shiny ingredients Of his supper; |
would have punished hun Ins,anter, but for the inter
cessIon of the company. But to vindicaie my outrag-
et honor, | cnndosCerted TO demand of him the salts
faction Of a gentleman, and he with the most knavish
design accepted my cartel.
This morning al The appointed hour, | repaired to
TIE field of honor, equipped as gentlemen usually are
for honorable combat When ! arrived a, the place,
Tie dlsiardly poltronn was lnvisilly concealed behind
a giant son OF tie forest, armed with a musket enur-
mously charged with nine buck shot; and before we
| hal ua4srred tie ground or taken our positions, or the
sAuikine bastard showed his person, lie presented his
!, musket and threatened 20 shoot me II did not drop
my pistols and return 10 town. In alien 1ting 10 IN
"rapmF pistols they slipped out o. ry hands, and thus
] was ! ehpused unsrmea 90 the daSiarily attack Of this
= pedagogical uolifoon with his dishnnorable muske,
charged With an enormous quantity Of buck shot. |
" turned indignantly UlUu Tins conference.-the .t,.,,., -