The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1865-07-18
THE PISTOL SHOT.
FTom the French


lage tier was up4htr a p,aisoB pub
hgus d resort Or a.aFriageable soune
iAdy. ~ Consequence u which We we're
accustomed 10 convert each other. /.
quarters into places Of couyival rrun-
ION. There was bul one individual
among us not oi our profession. man
oi about thirty years u age, and whom
We regarded as comparatively reiE-
tard Has experiences IN life gave him
great superiority over as, while his
grave department and strong points Of
character produced powerful effects
upon our young minds. A certain
mystery enyeloped bis history His
name was foreign, an j he appeared 10
be a Russian lie had served in the
llussars, aud served hoaorably. No
one knew What reason had caused him
to drop the service, nor why lie had
taken up bis abode 10 a small proyin.
cial village, where be lived modestly,
and yet with kind Of luxury. Ills
table was accessible TO all tie officers
o. the regiment bis repasts were
composed oi only three or four dishes
prepared by an old invalid soldier
but then the champagne flowed gen
erously. No one knew either his con-
dition in lite or his fortune, and one
woull have dared question him upon
these subjects. He possessed some
books which treated Of the military
art, and also some romances, which
lie willingly loaned without demand.
ing their return. His principal occu-
patton was with the pistol, and the
walls Of his chamber, pierced with
balls, resemb'ed The Interior Of bee
hive. An elegant collection of pistols
composed the most striking, and, in
deed, the only ornament of the cottage
where he resided SO great was the
perfection he bad attained in the art,
that none OF US feared to allow him to
shoot at walnut placed upon our
military caps.
Often, in our reunions, the CONVEX
sation turned upon duelling, in which
Sylyio (by which name | shall de4ig-
nale him) never participated and |
when questioned as to whether he had
ever fought duel, he drily replied in
the Affirmative, without ever entering
into any details upon the subject. II
was easy TO observe that such subjects 4
were dsagI eeabe 10 him, and we were
all convinced that his conscience was
troubled With some recollections Of his
fatal science.
Il had never entered our m nd to
suspect s l,io Of cowaidce Tor lhele
are some mn whose couatenance
alone forbid such an idea. An unex-
pec1ed event sluped d Us.
One day We were dining at the house
OF Sylyio, and drank our usual quaint
ity OF wine--thal is, a great deaf AT
ter dinner, we desired the master of
the house to get Us up Faro bank.
For some time lie refused, but finally
yielded to our opportunities.
Sylyio was in the habit Of main
tainng dogged silence during the
play. He never disputed nor suffer
ed an explanation. ltany OF the play
ers made . mistahe in their calcula-
ton, Sylvio reclifed it according to
their statement. Upon this occasion
there happened TO be with US newly
arrived officer attached 10 our regi-
menI. This officer, through inatten-
ton eoppered his bet. Sylvio took
the chalk, and made the tally accord
ing TO the play. The Officer, not per.
eeivi & his error, and believing that
SylvIo was mistaken, undertook 10 ex.
plain. Sylvio continued to deal in 81.
lence, and the officer, losing bis pa.
uence, seized the brash and rubbed
out the tally that be thought illegal.
Sylvio picked up the chalk again, and,
stlll silent, replaced the eiIaced tally.
The officer, heated with wine, and ir.
rilaied by the laughter ofhis comrades,
thought himself previously insulted.
and, seIzing the eandlesiick upon the
table, hurled it at Sylvio, who scarce.
ly bad time To avoid the blow by a
slight inclination of the head. We
were all electrified. Sylyio arose. his
lace pale with rage. his eyes seeming
like two Goals Of FIRE. II
Depart, be- cried to the officer, and
hank your stars that this affair hap. ;
pened 70 you in my house u
We bad 40 doubt as to tie consc-
luenee Of this affair, and already con- !
iideled our new comrade a dead man. 5
The officer departed, saving that
Monsieur, n, dealer, could have such i
satisfaction as It pleased him to exact. d
The play continued some minutes n
onger but all Of as feeling that the !
master Of the house was in no humor Q
o Prolong il, VIC put an end to it by i
'ommon accord. and sought our re-
pec'ive habita,ions, specializing up- b
n lhe approaching death Of the young q
.fiieer, and the vacancy be would leave !
n the regiment. a
The next day. 81 mess, We were q
peaking Of oar poor lieutenant, and u
wondering whether he vas slill alive,
Sheu he entered 10 room. lie told o. a
hat be had heard nothing from Syl.
10. We we're strangely surprised, =
cd some OF % went 10 Sylyio's house. 2
Ne iound him in the court. in front Of 2
Iis house, amusing himself by shoot y
Hg Al an ace oi hearts nailed 10 his