The weekly Butte record., 1862-09-13
The Duelist's Revenge.

L ut Ultttt auIiHOSitN tAiSlluS III IduCe De
tween the royalists and imperialists, found its
elimination on the restoration of Louis the
Eighteenth and innumerable quarrels and
bloody duels were the results. In Paris the
two factions met more numerously at the Palais
Royal than any other given point, and here the
insult, the challenge, and its acceptance follow
ed each other in rapid succession, and both
parties Immediately adjourned to some conve-
nient locality in the vicinity, not unfrequently
settled the whole affair within the hour.
In this state of affairs it beloved every man
of mark to be good swordsman or dead shot
as about the only means of pFolonging his life,
for if known to be inferior in the use of deadly
weapons he was almost certain to be involved
in quarrel with some skiful antagonist who
would take both pride and pleasure in sending
him out of existence.
Where daeliug is fashionable, there are al
ways more or less professed duelists-mea who
have trained themselves to fight with deadly
weapons, who know all the nice points of ad-
vantage, and how TO obtain them, who have
schooled their nerves to an iron rigidity, and
their features, manners, and language to ex-
press a perfect confidence in their success, aud
who boast of glory in their individual proves,
aud the number of victims they have murder
ously sent out of the world. Yet these same
apparently bold, daring, reckless, and bloody
minded men are generally towards at heart,
and have really as much fear of danger as
those whose tlmidity is made glariugly mani
fest but, like the professional gambler, they
have been trained to calculate the chances for
and against themselves, aud seldom venture on
what gives promise of doubtful issue, so that
to save yourself from the annoyance of these
gentry it is only necessary to have it generally
known that in an affair of honor you would be
quite as likely to kill as get killed.
There were many of this class in Paris at
that day who actually made a living by duel
ing-they had their price, like the italian
assassins of former period, for getting rid Of
persons obnoxious TO their employers-though
as we have already stated, they generally took
good care to know all the fighting qualities
and idiosyncracies of the proposed victim be-
fore actually closing the bargain of blood, and
if they discovered too much danger in the case,
they readily invented such an excuse as would
save both their lives and credit for who
would dare question the motives and courage
of men so famous for bloody deeds ? Some
times. however, they made serious mistakes,
notwithstanding all their nice calculation, and
then the world became trihe better for sud-
denly getting rid of human curse.
There were others who fought for the mere
love of fighting, because their combative and
destructive organs would never let them rest 10
peace and these were always ready for any
body and any mode, it being lmmaterial to
them whether they were 10 fire at their antago-
mist at ten PAGES, cross swords with him al
once, or be tied TO him for quick settlement
with dirks. Then, again. there were other:
who fought TO revenge Sights, both real and
fancied. or to settle personal or political ami
mosilies, or because they were embittered By
disappointments, or because they wero tired o
living, and did not care to commit suicide
And Of course, in all this range of character
there were maay eocentricities displayed, fo
where dueliug was SO common that an ordinary
meeting would scarcely be mentioned on tht
following day, certain persons were sure t,
seek TO make themselves remembered by SOM
peculiarity that could not fsil TO be long talket
Of for its novelty.
Most OF those duels, as We have intimated
were between partisans-between royalists an'
imperIahsts-an when they met at the Palai
Royal, the great headquarters of Paris, tn
mode of insult was simple aud easy. A sauc
look, grimace, or smile Of contempt, wa
frequently sufficient TO draw forth challenge