The Republican journal., 1872-02-08

so soundly that Sturgeon had to call him
loudly the next morning before arousing
him. He had in the meantime procured
the services AS surgeon OF Dr.. j. ii. Shore,
a distinguished physician Of St Louis,
who, together with Reynolds, kennett,
and Hudson, passed over into Illinois by
the North St. Louis ferry. They proceed
ed down lesurely to a point opposite
Selma Hall, reaching there destination at
about y O'Clock on the second day.
On Monday evening, August %, Rey-
nolds crossed over to Selma Hall. accept
ing the hospitality of G w. Chadbourne,
then living few hundred yards from
kennetts elegant mansion. For week
kennett had been in his element Nothing
pleased him SO well as a duel. il a duel
had to be fought, and he made all his
preparations with that exact and Scrupu-
lous care SO necessary in giving an air OF
| elegance and aristocracy to the whole
| performance Not single detail was
| omitted Two cushioned and commodlous
| skitfs were launched into the Mississippi
on the morning of Tuesday, Aug 70,
| 1856 Into one REYNOLDS and his friends
| took their seatS-into the other Brown
and his friends A stalwart negro oars
man in each rowed them to a sand-bar IN
the Mississippi river, midway between
/ the States of Illinois and Missouri. The
upper end OF this bar was covered with
growth of young cottonwood. Ia the
branches of these trees were singing birds
| that made the morning vocal.
1 1t was not vet sunrise. No cloud any
where over the face OF the sky hid the
! great. tender eyes of the dawn. II was
! summer morning. The gorgeous robe OF
! nature adorned all trees with green. Not
q land breeze shook the dew dimples out
from the cheeks OF the sleeping river.
/ The whole earth smelt sweet with living.
/ The cottonwoods and the oaks We're iubi
/ liant as a hive. In their branches there
! was the noise of tiny wings, among their
! leaves the ripping Of a thousand summer
/ songs.
Ashley went down to the skitfs together,
Kennett took a long look at the panorama
| spread out before him-at the river I'M
/ rolling a curtain of silver 10 the sea-at
the orchards white and pink with fruit
| at the ghmpses of woodland and valley
woven into warp and wool by the God Of
the universe. and he turned to grim old
Mitchell and said, curtly
/ at is beautiful overhead and undertoot.
Would you like to be shot to-day?'
LAS well one day as another Why ?'
1T is so sweet to live when the sap is
in the trees and the birds abound in their
branches. 1t looks like tempting Provi-
dence"
lit may be, but Providence blesses him
who shoots first and pulls the steadiest
trigger"
Between these two there was no further
/ conversation until they reached the bar.
The principals stepped from the boats
as men who were going to a dance, and
that dance a waltz. Reynolds was then
in his S5th year, and Brown was several
years younger. The first had Il wife
whom he had left in total ignorance Of the
duel; the last was unmarried. Nothing
could be cooler than the bearing Of each
Brown was dressed scrupulouslv in black,
with his coat buttoned up to his chin
Reynolds il light gray suit scarcely
distingu ishable from the sand ot The river
The terms had all been arranged They
were to fight with duelling pistols carry
inc an ounce ball. were to face each other.
and were to stand twelve PAGES apart
The drop shot had been accepted 10y both
that IS to say the pistols were to be held
muzzle upward. until the word was given,
when they were to be lowered and fired.
This was understood to be the most deadly
way of fighting
1t was now little after sunrise All
the east was red a if with fire A little
breeze had arisen with the sun. Just
enough to shake the dew-drops from the
leaves and give to the waves a speech a.
they broke on the bar.
kennett took a silver half dollar from
hi, pocket and turned toward Mitchell.
saving
Shall we toss for the position ="
Yes, up with it,.
Kenneth won He tossed again for the
word, and won that.
Walker drew nearer to Hudson, and re
marked
Reynolds is lucky. How about the
pitcher which goes so often TO the wei P"
It gets broken al last, the proverb
says hope we all may get safely out
Of this without a veritication Of the adj
age"
I'VE shall see"
The choice Of position was not 81 much
advantage however, II the sun was too
low 10 affect either The wo, d remained
with Kenneth. and he was to call out
"Fire-One-Tw -Three-StOp - The
principals were not TO lower their pistols
before the word Fire " and not to shoot
after the word Stop"
kennett and Mitchell measured the
ground carefully Each turned after he
had finished and threw a keen glance
along the tawny track and then looked
one into the eyes Of the other They did
not speak audibly. vet both said in their
hearts
Tt is close
And it was Too close for too such
men. who had only between them the IN
pleasant memories OF political quarrel
They were placed face to face. Brown
looked straight al his adversary, a pleasant
half-smile on his lips. Not a muscle
quivered He stood as if carved from the
and yet tull Of bount-
ful life. Reynolds attitude was none the
less superb The Kentuckian and the
South Carolinian were to fight as their an
cestors had fought before them for
hundred years. By the code they would
be Judged fairly, standing or falling
The pistols were brought and loaded
carefully. A grain of powder more or less
might sacrifice a life. They were ugly
looking weapons, to say the best of them
and of English make. The stocks were
of mahogany, and OF the "sawhandle"
shape. They had hair triggers, double
sight, were smooth-bores, and carried
each an ounce ball The barrels We're
full six inches long and were dark look
ing and ominous.
L was now between s and Z o'clock.
The negro oarsman looked on in sober
wonderment. The surgeons arranged
heir instruments and bandages The re-
spective friends Of each principal took
their positions, and when everything was
in readiness, Kennett called out in clear
and distinct voice:
Gentlemen are you ready ?''
So nearly together as to sound in one
voice, both Brown and reynolds answer
ed
Ready ~
Kennel then cried OUT