The Nevada journal., 1854-10-13
The DueIiSt.

KEGS generally are, but nevertheless hon.
est, good-natured, peaceable, and withal,
fond of jukes but even when joking he
was accustomed to maintain a grave and
even dry countenance, as if his face were
made of wood. His age might be twenty
eight-he was by profession a school mas
ter, and his name was Jedediah Bateman.
l know not whence the duelist came
He seems to have been hanging for num-
ber of years about the villages on the from.
tier. living by his wits as card player and
land speculator. He was proud, over
bearing, and malicious; had been doubly
arr logant and assuming, since he had been
victorious in no less than three duels.-
Once he had crippled, twice he had killed
his man; making, by these exploits two
widows and five children fatherless. Such
was his fame as duelist, that it was tho't
to be little less than suicide for man not
perfectly expert with the pistol to meet him
on the field of honor as this sort of mur
derers call the place where they shoot one
another.
In dress and manners he was fop and
swaggerer. His red, bushy whiskers
almost met on his chin; his shirt ruff es
were long and projecting; his cTavat was
stuffed with padding until it almost buried
his chin; and his bell crowned hat was til
ted over his left eyebrow when he walked,
or rather strutted along the street, swing
ing and plumping down his cane at every
step; and wheresoever he went, he over
looked verybody, and expected the way
to be cleared for him by high and low
He considered himself justified in lording
it over all who were about him, because
he was the most formidable man in town.
lfany peaceful worthy man did not cow
er at his presence, he was sure to resent
the supposed indignity by sneers and in
suits. Many were the pompous gibes and
bombastic witicisms that he discharged
from day to day at the school master, jed
ediah Bateman, who did not humble him.
self like dog before the high and mighty
Maj. Dashwell Bickerton, as the duelist
styled himself. He professed to have borne
a Majors commission in the army, and
boasted of his erploits in Gen. Wayne's
expedition against the Indians. Some
people doubted whether he had been in
that expedition at all, because he gave
some erroneous accounts of marches and
battles; but they doubted only in their
hearts, for who dare insinuate the suspicion
of falsehood to tha majors terrible self; the
majors tongue might err, but his pistol
was nevertheless true. Who would have
thought that our dry faced school master
would, first Of all, have the hardihood to
retort the sneers and insults of this hero of
the pistol? He bore several of the attacks
with the utmost composure. Not mus
Gle Of his face changed its habitual fixed
ness; not drop more or less blood color
ed his cheek; neither word nor look indi-
Gated the slightest feeling of the bully's
satire. He charged the artillery of his
wit with still heavier loads of turpid phra-
ses, to cypress his contempt for the school
master. Still he WINGED not he only be-
gan with the soberest and most unteellng
gravity to utter some repartees, as dry and
grating as the sands of Arabia, yet SO per-
fectIy free from open insult, as to increase
the duelists pride without furnishing him
pretext to take offence. But the natural
malignity of his temper was SO embittered
by the school masters mortifying inditfer-
ence and icy wit that be began to insult
him outrageously on all occasions, with the
obvious intention of provoking a deadly
quarrel with him. Still the Yankee per-
severed in his imperturable GOODNESS, and
replied by jokes and sarcasm of more stony
and indigestible hardness. The bully's
rage became unbounded, and the school
masters friends saw that the affair would
soon come to personal violence. But their
kind endeavors were in vain to persuade
Jedediah to soothe the bully's rage. IF
you mortify his pride any further said
they, he will assault you, and you will
have to let him beat you with his cane, or
shoot you with his pistol
4 shall let him do neither, guess said
the Yankee.
How will you prevent it?'
You will see when the time comes,' was
the final reply.
In the evening, at supper, the duelist, as
usual, began to utter something designed
to provoke the Yankee. At first Jedediah
gave no heed. To make the attack more
direct, the bully proceeded to, as he had
often done and as fops and Anticipates most
ly do. express his contempt of school mas
tiers, or pedagogues. Seeing that Jedediah
still paid no attention, he addressed him
ly in these words:
Come, Sir Pc dagogue, you are silent;
be so condescending as to illustrate your
profession by informing US how many ideas
you have bastinadoed into the posterlorS
OF your boys, to-day
Not one, sir said Jedediah, 'the boys
do not carry their ideas in their posteriors,
however they might have done SO in your
boyish days
The deuce, do you say SO, Mr.. Peda~
gogue? why do you app ly your birchen
instrument with such impetuosity to that
inferior part of their corporeal system p
Come, your philosophical reasons, MIR. Ped
You shall be satisfied, sir. apply the
L. - al L.. IF