East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1859-06-16
MY FIRST DUEL;
on rnE EFrEcrs oF PASSION.

uay about old college times, Wnen ne ana
you were students together at M
University in the north, and in the course
Of his conversation, spoke of duel
which you and friend of yours fought
while there. How was it What was
the cause ? Tell me, won't you ?"
"Well, my boy, it was one of those
affairs of honor, as they are now called,
which thought brave and chivalrous
thing to enter into, and for which ! am
now heartily ashamed, However i will
relate it to you, and bid you be careful,
unless you fall into as dire and unncces-
sary a snare as ], from the impulse of my
over-quick temper and rcvcngeful spirit,
become entangled. Mother, do you wish
to hear it?" This was addressed TO my
wife, clear, blue-eyed dame, now look
ing with eyes of starnge alarm on me
and her boy, this having been the first
time she had ever, during the course of
our married life dreamed of such an
adventure of her husbands.
ooh, yes. l shouldli like to know some
thing of that myself"
"Well, then, here it is. Twenty years
ago saw me member of the Freshman
classat M-University, a careless, reck-
less fearless boy of sixteen. My father,
God bless him! presented me, when | left
his roof-tree in Florida, in order to amuse
myself in my leisure hours, fearing |
might over-work myself If | had no in
ducement otherwise, with fine light rille,
a suit of Indan-drcsscd deersllin, powder
and bullet-pouch, and TO crown all, a
large, magniicently-made dog, which he
had brought home with him from Ireland,
whittier he had beena year or two before.
| This hound was of mouse color, with a
| fine fox nose, long slim legs, and stood
nearly four feet high. His eyes were
never still, always watching some object,
even at his meals; and as to his general
reputation among the fellowss he could
outrun, out-scent any dog within hun
dred miles of NJ. Satan was the
name he bore at home, and for old remem-
brances this diabolica name followed him
wherever he went. Among the numbers
| of the unaclnowledged secret and sport
ing club, to which | belonged, yclept
| u
George E, "A rather fast and unscru
pulous sportsman, whose whole time was
spent, instead of at his books, as it should
have been, coursing the woods, and deal
ing destruction upon all game, of what
ever quality, that crossed his hunting
path. To him, as a leader, | could have
bowed in submissive homage; but as a
shot, with riAe or pistol, acknowledged
no superior at that time, for / was then
"A perfect marksman. Strange fcats
could tell you as to my aim and general
prowess, but they have no connection
with the present relation.
conc Saturday morning, George came
to me and said
"'Well, Jim, there was fine fal
of snow last evening, and the rabbits anc
squirrels will be plentiful shall we try
the woods ?"
81 gave him no answer for a moment
and he resumed-'lf you do not wish tC
90, will take Satan and 90 alone.
"Now Satan had a great difficulty il
Distinguishing between us, as to who wa
his master, George assuming as mucl
dontrol over him as did myself, and th'
dog would follow him with as little per
suasion as he would me.
"Well, George, wait moment till
dress myself, and / will accompany you.
/ went to my room, equipped, anC
started out, rifle on my shoulder, for th'
piney woods.
~ forgot to tell you in my preambl
that Georges father was one of the pro
fessors in the University, and that il
college honors George outranked me-
The house he lived in was situated with
in the college grounds, and immediatel
behind the boundary of the same, tn
woods commenced thick and uncleared
1t was the season when the farmeIs gath
cred, in pals and buckets, the sap of tn
J sugar maple, and boiled the saccharin
juice until the consistent sugar was oil
tanned. 1t was favorite amusement Q
ours to go to the sugar camps, far ava
in the woods, and sit around the big fire
) and listen to the jokes of the boilers an
taste the steaming syrup. 1t had bee
our custom every day to go at the even
ing gloaming and stay till late at night
smoking our short pipes, and drinking
our 'old rye out of leaf noggin; an
we never thought ourselves far from HON
until we had left the sugar boilers four o
five miles behind
"Distant about four miles from on
domicile was the largest and most con
plcte sugar camp in the country. TIC
wards this we now bent onrsteps. Sata
courscd on before, racing here and ther,
sometimes starting deer or rabbit
/, which we endeavored to kill and bag wit
varied success, while on he went, ycllin
and scouting, as if all was but play {
!, him. Leisurely we followed, often excit
cd by the break Of deer acrossour patl
but never varying from our accustome
track, save to pick up our game. Abou
noon we reached the camp, and aroun
the fire made in the snow, and compose
/, of combustiblc substances Of every de,
cription, we found our old cronics, th
sugar boilers, and were heartily welcon
ed rs just in pudding time There, i
the snow, some half-dozen yards from tn
fire, they were sitting upon benches an
, logs, eating their noon-day meal. w
, were, of course, invited TO partakc, an
quickly disposing of our rifles, accoutr,
mcnts and game, fell TO work in rigl