The Nevada journal., 1854-10-13

duellSt telt the force OF the argument; fol
! in those days an honorable gentleman, ir
fine coat and rufled shirt, was in some
danger of being hanged for wilful murder
Now, only the friendless and beggarly mur
derers are liable to the gallows. But then
as now, the murderers in duel had moth
ing to fear from the law, but might BE-
raised to the highest honors by the popular
favor. Therefore, Bickerton, believing
that he could satiate his malice as certain
ly in duel as by instant assassination, re.
turned 10 his room and penned challenge
in due form, according to the code Of honor
Bateman promptly accepted it, to the dis,
may OF his friends, who now looked upon
him as no better than a, dead man. He
had ths right as challenged party to pre-.
scribe The terms of fight. They were to
meet tie next day at the gredt Indian
mound, about halfa mile from the town, in
dense forest; they were to have no Sec
onds, but were to stand ten yards apart,
and either of them might FIRE at pleasure
after calling at the other, Stop, take care
of yoursslfv Their friends might stand
fifty yards off to see that those terms were
observed; but were not to interfere unless
they were violated. Nearly every man
wished the Yankee success, but expected
only to see him killed at the first fire.
The duelist demurred at first at the ex-
traordinary terms prescribed by the school
masteri but he finally acceded to them,
feeling sure of his own quickness of hand,
and doubted not he could pierce the heart
whose blood he so eagerly thirsted for
So the meet day, at the appointed hour,
the rcdeubtable Major strutted forth to the
field of honor, with well charged brace OF
pistols wrapped up in handkerchief and
stuck under his left arm. When in sight
of the mound, he cast his eyes about in
search cf his adversary, but no Yankee ap-
peared. He moved slowly onward, keep
/ ing a sharp look out for his man, and lick
ing his lips in anticipation of the feast OF
blood. The forest was always deep dusky
with shade in that place, and the morning
fog still fingered in its dark recesses.-
When he got so near the mound as to see
it and the trees about it distinctly, he was
certain the school master had not arrived,
and began with feelings of disappointed
rage to curse him aloud for q cowardly
knave, base poltroon, and chicken
hearted, white livered pedagogue.
He was pouring forth these imprecations
and lengthening them with all the choices
terms in the vocabulary of honorable bull
lies, when he was stopped in mid career
by an unexpected phenomenon. On reach
ing an open lot near the mound, he struck
across the path and at the same instant 8
voice of thunder smete his ears with the
words:
Stop, take care of fyourselfr
he did stop in great surprise and looked
towards the place from which the voice
had come, but he saw only the huge trunk
of tree that stood by the mound, ten yard:
from the pole at which he stopped. He
had no time for deliberation; the voice
thundered again.
''Take care of yourself, I'll blow your
brains out!
And now he saw distinctly the muzzlt
OF great blunderbuss pointed towards hin
from behind tree, and the Yankees eye
at the butt taking aim while the tree con-
cealed his body. The duelist was SO taker
Oft his guard, that he stood confounded fol
an instant; but as the expected shot die
not come, he began to tumble under hi:
arm for his pistols; but he no sooner begar
to unwrap them than the Yankee called
out, in the most decided tone,
Drop your pistols or I'll shoot you =
The bully hesitated. Drop 'em, or III
blow nine buckshot into you as soon a:
| can count three, mind now, one, two
thr-'
lie had cooked his musket and taken
what the duelist saw, a sure aim. Before
the word three was fully pronounced, the
handkerchief containing the pistols fell IL
the ground, whether by accident or pa
ralysIs OF the duelist's nerves, or an act o
his will, we shall not undertake to say
however the pistols fell.
Now said the Yankee, stepping ou
from behind the tree, with his finger still
on the trigger, but the wide muzzle of the
hrelock elevated at an angle Of thirty de-
lgrees-' You have but one way to save
your life. Right about facet = The duel
lst began to demonstrate. = Face about,
tell you, or I'll drive load of bucksho
shot through you > and he began to leve
his musket as he advanced upon his adver
lsary. The duelist about like soldier
/ Very well ; forward march march |
tell you-straight to home, or tarnation
seize me, if | don't riddle you with buck
shot; ; before can count three-one, two,
the duelist did not wait for the mex
word the angry voice was close behind
him. and the deep meuthed blunderbuss
within two yards of his back. He began
to march with slow and halting steps, very
different from his usual strut. The Tan-
kee followed with all gravity. The COM
pany in the neighbering woods fell into the
rear, tittering at the strange result of the
duel. The line of march was pursued
without any intermission for whenever
the duelist attempted to halt or speak, the
Yankee drove him on with the threat ol
buckshot.