The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-03-05
A Juggler's Duel.

4
magician implements" lie acts ~ assist
ant steward, and becomes O great Ayorile
with the crew. A. Port Mahon, they 90
ashore, Joe In fall toggery, enter a vine
slteiF .lfiBkr and Joe aeedenlsily gets inio a
quarrel With a frrooous Spanish infantry
captain. A duel ensues As folowsi-
My name II Joseph Latti, sir a citizen
Of the United States, and General Of the
Order Of Sublime Darkness" said Joe, very
pompogsly, Iaraing 10 the spaniard. Your
name III P'
"Antonio Bizar captain In Her mosi sa-
cred Catholic Majesly'a 7th Regiment Of lp.
iantry' but your Office, sir i don't conn
prehcud."
"Oh. you wouldn't know II was to tell
you. am simply general Of body Of men
who have sold themselves 70 the gentleman
who burns sinners and heTeiirs, down there :"
AID Jet pointed most mystbfiously doSh 10.
wards the floor ~ be spoke,
The Spnniard smiled very bitter sarcastic
smile, and thereupon Joe took up two large
knives that lay on the bar, and tossed them,
one amer another, down hb throat making
so, cral WY faces as they took their passage
downwards The fellow had evidently never
seen anything OF the kind before, for he was
ustoundcd,
"Now, sir" said Joe, making one or two
more grImaces, aa though he felt the knives
somewhere IN the region Of the diaphragm,
you W,il wait here while 60 and bring my
pistols, and you shall have satisfaction. win
you waltz
] can procure pistols" said the officer,
forgetting his as,onishmeni, and coming back
to his anger.
shall fight with my own. IL you are =
gentleman you will wait"
Joe turrcd % us and bade us wait for him
Here here Oh genllemrn, where be
my knives ?" cried the keeper,
"l'll pay you for them when ! come back !"
aud he then beekoned for me To come out. -
did SO he took the kniyes---one from his
bosom ind the other from his sleeye--and
told me 10 Keep them until he returned.
IL seems that Joe found boat ready to
take him of to the ship at once for he was
not gone more than three-q uariera Of an
hour when he came back he had two superb.
Is mounted pistols With him. lie loaded
them with powder in the presence Of the
Spaniard and then handing him ball, asked
him If he would mark II, 80 that he would
know IL again. The fellow hcsitated at frat,
but at length he took il with n mad gesture,
and bit Il between his teeth.
IL shall know that" said he, "uuleSA IL is
battered agairfst your bones"
"Now, select your pistol" said Joe.
The man took them md examined them,
but he Was satisfied they we're both alike, and
both good. aud he told Joe he had no choice.
So our steward put the balls in and rammed
them carefully down.
The whole party nov adjourned 10 a wide
court back of the cafe, where twelve PAGES
were marked OIL, and then the combatants
took their stations. | trembled for Joe, for
saw not'yet how be would make fun out Of
this.
Count" said the Spaniard, iupadently.
One-4twn--th three ~
The Captain Rred first, and with most de.
iberate aim. Joe fired in the air. Then the
latter walked deliberately up TO his. antago.
mist, and taking the ball from between his
teeth, handed Il TO him.
yIss=r=rs+ that Ffr<t tJrTv7h EHiJf jBe
The officer looked first at Joe's teeth, and
then at the ball. Il was surely ;he one that
he had seen put in the pistol and now he had
seen biz focnan take il from his mouth lie
vas unmistnkably astounded.
Come. let's lead again" said Joe.
San Pablo exclaimed Bizar, "you must
use some--somc-what you call him P-some
trick. eh' shall load the pistol myself.
do so," said Ice. calmly, and ~ he spoke
he coolly handed over his powder flask.
Tho Spaniard poured out an extra quaint.
" of powder, and having poured il in the
pistol, called for rammer. lie then put the
same ball in he used before. Meanwhile, Joe
had been loading his own pistol.
. "One moment" uttered Joe, reaching out
his haud. The caps arc IN the butt Of your
pistol. Let me get them"
The fellow handed over his pistol, but kept
his eye upon il. Joe opened little silver
spring at the end Of the bett, and true there
we're some percussion caps there, lie took
out two, and having capped his own pistol,
he tossed IL into the air, catching il very
adroitly as it came down, and then handed
back the other 20 the Spaninrd. had watch
ed Joe most carefully, but | saw nothing ont
of the way, and yet he changed pistols with
his foe.
Now" cried he, I'll put ball in my
pistol, and then VIC will be ready"
lie slipped something in that looked like
cartridge. but no one else saw it..
"Now," said the Spaniard, let's see you
hold this in your mouth"
Again they took their stations, and again
they were ready.
One--two-three ="
And the Spaniord fired first, by aim, Joe
firing in the air, as before. And again Joe
stepped forward and took the self same ball
out Of his mouth and handed it to his antag.
onist. The fellow was completely dumb
founded and the rest swore.
"You no fire at me " gasped the eaptsin.
-.-" I'll fire at you the mex, time" said Joe,
in tone of thunder; thus far have only
shown YOU that powder and ball can have no
effect on me. Twice have yoa fred at me,
with as true pistol as was ever nsRde, and
both times have caught yopr ball between
my teeth, while hate fred in the air.
meant that you should Hre long enough TO
know that for once IN your life you had seen,
if not the old fellow hImsch (poSuting down
ward,) at least one who is in his employ
The old gentleman win like the company Of
q Spanish captain Of infantry, and I'll send
you along. Come. load again.
But the nstonished Spanhrd did not seem
inclined TO do so. N man who swallowed
carving knives as he world sardnes, and who
caught pistol balls between his teeth, was not
the man for him TO deal with. While he was
pondcring upon what he had seen, Joe took
a handful Of bullets from his pocket, and be-
- 4