The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-01-08
MARK Tx.Ix-spUEI-
His Wonderful Escape.

Marx Twain contributes the fellow
ing 10 Roosfs -4a8ual. The only
merit ] clan Tor the following nara
tive j. that Il ) trRe story Is has
moral az the end OF IL bat / cain
nothing On that, a. Il : merely thrown
IN 10 curry favor With The religious
element
After ] had reported ccuple oi
wears on the Virginia lNerada) }
Dalls Esfcrprlse. they promoted &c
10 he eaiior-in-chief: and ! lasted
jGst week br the watch But
made aa uneomm0nly lively news
paper while / cid last, and when /
retired had q daeloa my hands, and
three borse whiPpinss promised ne
The latter ! made 10 attempt 70 col
Iect: +: however, this history concerns
only the former /; was the old
flush times or the silver exeite-
meEi, when the population was won
derfullv Wild and mixed everybody
went armed 10 the teeth, and al
sights and insults lad 10 be atoned
FOR with The best article Of bloed yOar
system could furnish u the course
of nv editing made trouble with 3
Mr. Lord editor q the rival paper.
He few up about some little tr7fe OF
other that | said sbeGt him-I do not
remember row what i was sup
pose j called hin q thief or s body
snateher, o. al idio1, OF something
Ike that ! was obliged 10 make the
paper readable, and | could not fail
IN nav duty 10 a Whole community q
subscribers merely to save The exag-
geraied selsitiTeness 0f an Individual
Mr.. Lord was offended and replied
vigorously IN his paper Vigorously
means & good deal when II refers 10 4
personal editorial N s froa1ier news
paper. Dueling was al the fashion
among the upper classes in hat
country, and very few gentlemen
would throw away an opportunity Of
sighting one. To XII . man in duel
caused q man 10 be even more locked
up to than 10 Kill two men in the or
diaarr way. Wei, oat there, If you
abused & man, and that man did not
Ike Il. you had 70 cal him cut and
XIII him otherwise you would be dis
vrzeed. So ] challenged Mr. Lord,
and / did hope be would noI accept /;
but / knew perfectly vel that he did
not want 10 fight, and SO ! challenged
him n the most violent and implaca-
bic manner And thea ! sat down,
and snGfed and snuEe1 til tie answer
cane Al eur boy-4be edit. rs-
were IN our Office helping me in the
dismal business, aad~ telling about
daels. and discussing The code with
loi OF aged rgidans who had had cx-
perieace IN such things. aid altogether
there vas & loving Interest taken in
the matter, which made ne unspcak-
ably uncomfortable The answer
czme-Mr- Lord declined Oar bows
were FQ-5eu-and - was I-on the
surface
sent hia another challenge, and
another, and another; and the more.
he did not want 70 fight the blood
thirstier ! became But AZ last the.
mans tone changed Re appeared
TO be waking m Il was becoming
apparent that be WIS going TO fight
me. after ali I ought TO have known
how il would be-he was 8 man v ho
never ceEld be depea9ed upan Oar
BOYS were exui1Ent ] was not.
ihoagh | tired 70 be-
Il was BOW time ~ 70 out and
prarf5ee Ii Was tie custom there 10
f fsht duels with navy six-shooters, al
fifteen paees-load and empty til the
game for the funeral was secure. Ne
went 10 a little rsFine just oat CT
town, and borrowed e bsra-door fer a
tar-et-boTrowea Il from 8 gentleman
who was aisent-and We stood this
barn-dcor up, and s1oed rail On end
against TIE middle Of II 70 represent
Lord, and put squash o. top The
rail- 10 represent bis head BE wGs
very tail, lean creature, the pooress
sort Of nsterial for 5 dael-noihing
bat line shot could .-feteh" bin, ana
even then be might sp.it yoar bullet
Exaggerasicn aside. tbs raj was Of
course, little too thin 70 represent
his body accurately. but The squash
Was aIl right If there was aBv IN