The Placer herald., 1859-05-21
A Juggler's Duel.

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good deal Of money and a big trunk
of magician implements" He acts as as
sistant steward, and becomes great favorite
with the crew. At Port Mahon, they 90
ashore, Joe in full toggery, enters a wine
shop, drinks, and Joe accidently gets into a
quarrel with ferocious Spanish infantry
captain. A duel ensues as follows:
"My name is Joseph Latti, sir-a citizen
Of the United States, and a General of the
Order of Sublime Darkness" and Joe very
pompously, turned to the Spaniard. "Your
name, sir?"
"Antonio Bizar, Captain in her most Sa-
cred Catholic Maesty's 9TH Regiment Of In
fantry. But your Office, sir? l don't COM
prehend."
"Oh, you wouldn't know if was to tell
you. | am simply general of body of men
who have sold themselves to the gentleman
who burns sinners aud heretics down there!"
And Joe pointed most mysteriousy down
towards the floor as he spoke.
The Spaniard smiled very bitter and
sarcastic smile, and thereupon Joe took up
two large knives that lay on the bar, and
tossed them, one after another down his
throat, making several wry faces as they
took their passage downwards. The fellow
had evidently never seen anything of the
kind before, for he was astonished.
Now, sir" said Joe, making one or two
grimaces as though he felt the knives some
where in the region of the diaphram, "you
will wait here while go and bring my ps-
tolls, and you shall have satisfaction. Will
you wait!"
81 can procure pistols" said the officer
forgetting his astonshment and coming back
to his anger
Il shall fight with my own. If you are a
gentleman you will wait"
Joe turned to us and bade us wait for him.
"IIere here. OH gentlemen where be my
knives?" cried the keeper
"Pll pay for them when come back"
and he then beckoned for me to come out.
did so; he took the knves-one from his
bosom and the other from his sleeve-and
told me to keep them until be returned
1t seems that Joe found boat ready to
take him off to the ship at once for he was
not gone more than three quarters of an
hour; when he came back he had two su.
perbly mounted pistols with him. He loaded
them with powder in the presence of the
Spaniard, and then handing him ball, ask
ed him to mark it, so that he would know it
again The fellow hestated at first, but at
length he took it with mad gesture, and
bit it between his teeth.
IL shall know that" he said, "unless it is
battered against your bones"
Now select your pistol" said Joe.
Tho ol thou
but he was satisfied they were both alike,
and both good, and he told Joe that he had
no choice. So our steward put the balls in
and rammed them carefully down.
The whole party now adjourned to wide
court back of the cafa, where twelve PAGES
were marked off, and then the combatants
took their stations. | .rembled for Joe, for
saw not yet how he would make fun out of
this.
Count" said the Spaniard, ippatieptly.
"One-twO-thee!"
liberate aim. Joe fred in the air. Then
the latter walked deliberately up to his an
tagonist, and taking ball from between his
teeth handed it to him.
"You can use that next time," said Joe.
The officer looked first at Joe's teeth, and
then at the ball. 1t was surely the one that
he had seen put into the pistol, and now he
had seen his foeman take it from his mouth.
lie was Enthusiastically astonished.
"Come, let's load again." said Joe.
''san Pablo" exclaimed Bizar, you must
use some-some-wha you call him?-some
trick, eh? shall load the pistol myself"
-"Do So" said Joe, calmly, and as he spoke
he coolly handed over his powder flask.
The Spaniard poured out an extra quantity
of powder, and having poured it in the pis-
toll, 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 hand. "The caps are in the butt of your
pistol. Let me get them"
The fellow handed over his pistol, but
kept his eye upon it. Joe opened little
silvQr spring at the end of the butt and, true,
there we're some percussion caps there. lie
took out two, and having capped his own
pistol, he tossed it into the air, catching it
very adroitly as it came down, and then
handed back the other to the Spaniard. |
had watched Joe most carefully, but | saw
nothing out of the way and yet he changed
pistols with his foe.
"Now," he replied "I'll put a ball in my
pistol and then we will be ready"
He slipped something in that looked like
cartridge, but no one else saw it.
"Now," said the Spanard, "let's see you
hold this in your mouth"
Again they took their stations, and again
they were ready.
One-two-threew
And the Spaniard fired first, by aim, Joe
firing in the air as before. And again Joe
stepped forward and took the selfsame ball