Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-01-20

q a contingency, we should not know wh'
8 arms 10 bring with us. And insist, thu
+, we have right to know at once.''
( 81 hardly know how to understand yol
]. Mr.. G. You say that have the privileg
8 10 appoint time, place and weapons, and ye
: will not allow me The free use Of that pr
: vilege. The right to make choice implie
f the right TO have The time to consider"
{ ''lf the time is short Colonel Fitzhugt
it is of your own appointing"
; 81 am sure that neither you nor Mr.. 3
would desire i, longer"
A touch Of sarcasm was contained in thi;
, The Colonel knew The hot-headed young
s,er he had 10 deal with.
) GAS 10 having the arms on the ground
Mr.. Co." he continued ; you need entertain
no fears on tina, point. shall bring will
me the weapons | may select and TO avoi
: all implication, your friend shall have tn
first choice.'
"Bu, they may be such as Mr.. B. has 10
been accustomed TO, aud he may need som
practice"
81 shall take no advantage sir" said th
Colonel, proudly ''the arms chosen, shal
be such as your friend has been as much
accustomed to as my self; and pledge yo,
my word, as gentleman, that shall no
practice with them, till we practice to-mor
row morning"
Mr.. c., though not by any means salts
fed, made no further objections, for fear o
being misunderstood. The Colonel had
carried his point-a very important one as
the sequel will show.
The place appointed for the hostile rem
devious owes its name to fountain Of cool
and pelucId water, tha, flows from the bank
of St. Leonard's near TO where that stream
unlles with the Paluxenr river. The creek
jus! above its mouth expands into wide
and beautiful sheet Of water some miles in
length, which being land locked on either
extremity, presents the appearance of very
picturesque little lake, with banks; in some
places sloping to the margin, in others ris-
ing abruptly fifteen Or twenty feet above the
tide, and composed of mail, which being
hardened by exposure TO the air has all the
effect of wild and jagged rock. In the cave
OF the southern shore of this lake-like ex-
panse, the fountain alluded to pours out its
crystal tide over a broad and pebbly strand
tur!in wnen ,ne woo6us ami n-ius- tnu,
ed in mirror of the stream, were brilliant
in The rich and variagated hues oi the sea-
son, and the just rising sun was pouring, IN
generous profusion: his rosea,e light over
land and water, that Mr.. B. and his friend
guided their horses down the steep road
that leads to the shore. Whatever thoughts
and emotions, at odds with the present Pur-
suit, were stirred within their minds by the
TRANQUIL beauty Of the scene and The hour,
were speedily pu. to hish! by the sight
which was presented TO Them, on emerging
upon the sands.
A. the distance Of about hundred yards
down the stream, large iron pot, support
ed by rude tripod Of prong pointed sucks,
was suspended over brush fire, formed OF
the dry branches which had fallen from the
old gnared trees, that growing upon the very
verge of the abrupt bank stretched out their
huge limbs far over the shore. Around this
fire stood six or eight gentlemen OF the
neig hbourhOod and negro man, who every
now and then threw an additional stick IN
to the flame and used other efforts to keep
up lively blaze.
|
claimed B., as soon as he had recovered from
his surprise sufficiently to speak.
Mos, extraordinary, indeed" said hi:
| friend, sbut we shall soon know all abou
it,"
Having made fast their horses to the droop
ing branches of tree that grew from TIT
bank, they turned toward their adversarle
who advanced to meet them.
A slight but courteous salutatIon was ex
changed between the parties.
DIR. S. will you explain 10 me, if you can
the meaning Of what see there!' aske'
Mr.. c. pointing TO the group around the fire
"Wi,h pleasure" said DR.. S., an elderl
gentlemen, who rejoiced in good joke
"That negro boy is engaged in making pre-
para,ions for the contemplated conflict, an
those gentlemen have been invited to dec'd
any disputed points of duellIng e''que''
that may arise"
"Genlemen to settle points of etiquette
exclaimed G. "Negro boy making prepi
t ra,ions for the conflict! You asIonish M
: DR.. S.-do not understand you, and you WI
/. allow me to say, sir, tina. such proceeding
e are very unusual and singular-lndeed
Y may say, absolutely amazing"
Y MIR. B. stood little in the back-groun
}, of his friend, mu.iering to himself, and lool
: ing as black as night. Colonel Fl'zhug
was calm and dignifed.
d "If you and your friend will step tn
), way, Mr.. Co. said Mr.. S, will soon col
IS vince v ou that no proceedings have been e
d tered upon, and no preparations made tn
are unnecessary to the denouemen's OF III
s. affair."
n Thus saying he led the way towards II
J. fire accompanied by the Colonel and foiio'
= ed at little distance, by Messrs. B. and
whose looks expressed an odd mixture