Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-11-20
- From the Boston Transcript,
ANECDOTE OF DUELLING.

MICUOTE VI OUELLlNG.
When was school boy, more than fifty
wears axo, remember to have read, in an Eng
fsh iournal, whose name have now forgotten.
{ story, which may have been fiction but which
wa very naturally told, and una ,e deep impress
ron upon me then. Iwal endeavor To draw it
lsrth from the locker Of my memory and engage,
beforehand, 10 be very much indebted to any one
vho will indicate lis original source.
Three younx gentlemen, who had finished the
anost substantial part Of their repast were lnger-
inc over their fruit ant wine, at an eating house,
"a London; when man, Of middle age. and mid.
] ne stature, entered the public room, where they
were sittng seated himself, at one end of small,
ueeeeapied table and, calling the waiter. order
ed ample mutton chop and a glass Of ale His
appearance, at first view, was not likely to arrest
t6e attention Of ary one. His hair was getting
% b thin and gray the expression of his coun-
tenance was sedate, with slight touch, perhaps.
q nslancholly and he wore gray surtout, with
stnndiAg collar. which manifestlv, had seen SER
vice, Il the wearer had not--iust such thing. as
m oiScer would hestow upon his serving man.
IA might be taken, p!ausihly enough. for com-
M magistrate, or an attorney, OF limited prac-
6ce. 81 schoolmaster.
4 He continued TO masticate his chop. and sip his
=. in silence, without lifting his eyes from the
tahls, until melon seed. sportively snapped from
neSW0E0 viz 0uu HttssSt Vi QUO vi tue geN-
Nenea, At the opposite table, struck him upon the
YikAtear. His eye was instantly upon the ag-
srssscr; and his ready Intelligence gathered, from
a. INV suppressed merriment Of the party, that
In petty inlpertinence was Intentional
5 Ne stranger stopped, and picked up the melon
seed, and scarcely perceptible smile passed over
Ais features, IS he carefully wrapped up the seed,
II piece Of paper. aud placed it in his pocket
This singular procedure, with their preconceived
impressions Of their customer. some wha. eleva-
ted. IS they were, by the wine thev had rartaken,
capsized their gravity entirely, and burst Of ir-
res.stble laughter proceeded from the group.
s Unmoved by this rudeness, the stranger con-
tinued to finish his frugal repast, in quiet, until
another melon seed, from the same hand. struck
him, Npon the right elbow. This also. to the in
finite amusement of the other party. he picked
from the floor, and carefully deposited with the
first.
Amidst shouts Of laughter, third melon seed
was, coon after. discharged, which hit him. upon
the left breast This also he. very deliberately
took from the floor, aud deposited with the 9TH
er two.
As he rose, and was engaged in paying for his
reoast the gayety Of these sporting gentleman be-
cane slightly subdued. II was not easy to ac-
count Cor this. Lavater would not have been
able to detect the slightest evidence of irritation
or resentment, upon the features OF the stranger.
He seemed little taller. to be sure and the car
r;aee Of his head might have appeared to them
nlker more erect. He walked to the table, at
which they were sitting, and with that air of
dignifed calmaess which is thousand times
more terrible than wrath, drew card from his
pocket. and presented it, with perfect civility. to
iAesofender, who could do no less than offer his
.owa. in return. While the stranger unclosed
Assartoat, to take the card from his poket. they
~ tho up.lraSS cnat Of mill
nan. The card dsc'o his rank. and brief
enquiry. at the bar, was sufficient for the rest
Hewas captain. whom i'll health and long SER
wee had entitled TO half pay. In earlier life he
had been engaged in several affairs of honor. and
IN the dialect Of the fancy, was dead shot.
The next morning note arrived at the aegress-
osss residence containing challenge,in form. ant
only one Of the melon seeds. The truth then
flashed beforethe challenged party-it was the
challeLgers intention 10 make three bites at this
chery, three seperate affairs ont of this unwarrant-
ablc froiic! The challenge was accepted, and
the challenged party, in difference 10 the challen-
ger'srepnted skill with the pistol. had half decid-
ed upon the small sword; but his friends. who
were on the alert, soon discovered that the cap
tain who had risen by his merit had in the earli-
er days Of his necessity, gained his bread as am
accomplished instructor in the use Of that very
weapon. They met and fired alternately, by loi,
the young man had elected his mode. thinking he
lnight win the FIRST fre-he did---6red and missei
his opponent. The captain leyelled his pistol
and fired-the bali passed through the flap of the
right ear, and grazed the bone; and. as the
wounded man invountarily put his hand to the
place. he remembered that it was on the right
ear Of his antagonist that the first melon seed had
fallen. Here ended the first lesson. A month
had elapsed, His friends cherished the hope that
he would hear nothing more from the captain
when another note-a challenge of course-and
another Of those accuEsed melon seeds arrived
with the captains apology on the score Of ill
health, for not sending it before.
Again they met-fred simultaneously, and the
captain who was unhurt, shattered the arm Of
his antagonst-the very point upon which he had
been struck by the second melon seed and here
ended the second lesson. There was something
awtully impressive in the modus operandi, and ex-
quisite skill Of this antagonist. The third melon
seed was still in his possession. and the agressor
Aad not forgotten that it had struck the unoffend-
~ gentleman, upon the left breast! A month
had paesed-another -and another, of terrible
suspense; but, nothing was heard from the cap
nln. Intelligence had been received, that he was
ees6ned to his lodgings, BY illness. At length
y gentlemen who had been his second, in the
Ioemer duels, once more presented himself. and
sendered another note, which, as the recipient
perceived, on taking it contained the last of the
melon seeds. The aote was superscribed in the
eaPnlnS well known hand but evidently of one,
Wes wrote de6ciente manu-. There was an unus-
"a solemnlty also in the manner of him who de-
nsefed t. The seal was broken, and there Was
9e melon seed, in blank envelope-.And what
~ - 70 understand by this ?"-->'You will
aaae',s.ad sir, that my friend forgivcs yoa--he
,ss-~ 4, A SEXTON or THE oLp School.