Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1842-10-28
From BldckWoOd's Nag azine.
A DUEL!

and not unnatural, dislike to see either
military or civil empI0ymsntS in their
county fitted by foreigners and it is
rare to find a foreign officer in any Of
their regiments Sometimes, however,
one meets with them-generally Poles.
| fell in with a battalion quartered IN an
insignificant Austrian village, in which
were Two foreigners, a Frenchman and
q Pole. The former, whose baptismaI
name was Victor, was u fine, handsome
young fellow, we'll educated, and even
accomplished, whom a love of adventure
had induced 10 enter the Spanish ser
vice. His greatest fault was one not
uncommon among young French militia
ry men-a heGdlong, random way Of
talking, especially when excited by wine
or otherwise, which frequently caused
him to wound the feelings or give I'M
intentional, but not less real, offence TO
his friends and comrades. If ren!onstra.
ted with on the subject, when 10 cold
blood, he admitted the failing, which he
would, however, fall into the very same
day, perhaps, when heated by CONVEX
%satIon, or lrGItated by the least contra
dicllon.
Cyrzinski, the Pole, was Of a widely
different character. He was the beau.
ideal OF a veteran, TO which name, al
though a little more than forty years Of
age, five aDd.twenty years service gave
him a fair title. Tall and powerful in
frame, Injured to faiIgues, and skilled in
all military exercises, he was not less
terrible in the field than gentle in quar-
ters. He was the best hearted creature
l ever saw, and although with nothing
beside his pay 10 live upon, was ever
ready 10 share his last dollar with q
comrade. BY disposition somewhat la
cilurn, he would sit for hours his chin
resting on his hand, and a large German
pipe 10 his mouth, listening to The con-
Vefsation, but rarely taking part in H.
He was still in the prime Of his Vigor,
and although the shake had wore away
the hair from his temples and forehead,
il still curled Thick and short on The top
and back OF his head, while a strong and
very Iignt'coIored mustache contrasted
with the dark hue to which his fine face
had been tanned by the sum and rains
OF twenty campaigns. The strongest
thing about him was his dialect. 1t wa,
"a mixture of some hall dozen Ianguag
es, picked upin various services through
which he had passed, and no ore Of
which, except his own, could he speak
with any degree Of accuracy. Somehow
however, he made himself understood
and as nothing ever offended him. it wa,
often a source Of great amusement ia
his comrades 10 laugh at old CyrzInski''
poIygIot idloms.
was acquainted with one or two Of
ficers OF the battalion, aud ! determined
to remain a couple Of days al the village
to repose from the latlgues OF a week;
travelling on a Spanish saddle and owe
deleslabIe roads. soon goracquainlet
with Cyrzlnski; We discovered that WI
had some mutual friends in anothe
country, and an lnlimcy rapidly ensued
Although the village IN which the ba
talIion was quartered was a mere col.
lection Of cottages, and had nothing tt
recommend it save the beauty Of thu
surrounding scenery, | found my tint
pass SO agreeably, that | allowed sever
al days TO elapse without thinking OF
departure. The mornings were spen
in riding, walking, and %Iounging, will
an occasional bout at the foIls, or toucl
al pistol shooting; and in the evening
Cyrzinski, Viclor the Frenchman, Nv,
or three Spanish officers, a. |, used gen
orally to meet at the quarters of one o
other Of the party, for the sake of con
versat!oo, and the discussion of a bowl @
mulIed wine.
1t was on the eighth evening after m,
arrival at the village, and we were as
sembled in the room of Don Julian !
-, and officer whom | had formerl
known al NJ. For three or fou
days past, troops bad baen daily arriv
ing from different quarters in our real
md OCCUPYING a strong position CT whic'
the village was the cent raj and the mos
advanced point. Several thousand me
assembled in The neighboring bnmIels
or bivouacking in the fields, while t
our front a strong CharIisr force had 81
tab'ished their pickels within little NOR
than musket shot Of ours. Nothing wa
expected Tor The following day, as bot
sides were waiting for further reinforce
menls, but an action was decidedly look
eG for the day after TO morrow.
We we're seated, six in number roun
a ponderous old table OF black, worm
eaten oak, on which we're placed a IaTg
bowl OIcoarse, ~yellowish eanhernwar