Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1873-01-09
listening to the conversation of the gen

listening TO the conversation OF the gen
tlemen around him. At last he diff
IDENTIFY replied to some question asked
him by one of the party, and made 6
commonplace remark, when suddenly
Midnight in voice Of thunder, cried
out, sLieutenant Lawson, L pronounce
what you have said to be a id lie
Had Midnight shot Lawson down
before them, the officers of that mess
could have been more horror-stricken
for each man of them in inauguration
saw his young friend pierced by the
ball of the lnsulter's pistol on the '6eld
IF honor" from which certain death
they could divine no possible escape.
Not another word was spoken at the
table. Each officer dropped knife and
fork and sat moody breeding over what
had occurred Presently Lawson
arose from his seat and went upon
deck, whittier he was followed by a
friend. Soon another joined them, then
another, till McNight was lett alone at
the table.
The group stood a few moments in
the companion way perfectly silent.
Presently Lawson said to friends: You
! see now whom that man has selected to
murder. He has slaughtered six brave
men already, and l am to be his sew
enth victim. He can cut a tapestring
at ten pa..es-he thinks l cannot handle
pistol, and in this he is right; for I
h I'VE never practiced If l meet him
on the field, l shall without doubt be
killed. All that know me, know that
l am not coward, yet | am opposed
to dueling. But as the necessities Of
my position as an officer demand that
| should not refuse to fight, am ready
to meet Mr.. Mcknight on equal terms.
tits incumbent on me to meet him
nevertheless, when he runs no risk
whatever, while I shall inevitably be
murdered ?"
There was no answer for some sec
onds. Presently one of the party sor-
rowfully replied: dawson there is no
help for it the code does exact that
you shall meet him even with the GER
tainty of being shot dead, the custom
of The service also rigidly exacts g
compliance with the code under ths
penalty of being considered a coward,
secuted as infamous, and driven from
the navy by the contempt Of your
bryther officers there is no help for it =:
you must fight Mcknight, be the con-
sequences what they may"
Very WELL, answered Lawson,
''then | am to be the seventh man."
Here another young officer took the
others to one side, and said to them:
"Cannot we devise some means b.
which Lawson may fight on equal terms :;
for fight he must there is no getting
off" They then consulted together fol
about quarter of an hour when they
returned.
The above mentioned officer then
said to Lawson: eve have been talk
ing over this matter and made up oul
minds as to the only course you can
adopt. You will by it be put on terms
of equality with your adversary and
stand an even chance fer your life
We advise you do this: Pocket
McKni aht's insult for the present. and
when you return to the United States,
give him much greater insult-one in
comparison with which the lie will be
considered trife; he will be then
obliged to challenge you, and You can
then have him on your own terms.
Lawson readily agreed to their sugges-
ton.
Why the plan was not carried out at
Port Mahon, the place at which so many
singh combats were fought in thes'
d Us, we were not informed, or we MAJ
ave forgotten. 1t was probably t,
void a court-martial, which, though il
/ would not have resulted in any serious
i enlistment in those days, would yet
rave been tedious and troublesome to
i concerned in the duel
The course to be pursued by Lawson
was thus satisfactorily arranged. In q
Jew hours the ship dropped down to
hampton Roads, and the next day she
was on her way to the Mediterranean.
It may well be imagined that it was
very disagreeable for Lawson to sit
very day at meals opposite the man
Who had so grossly insulted him; bu,
he had to bear it. When the ship
arrived at Port Mahon, Mcknight
thought that the duel would come Off
but he received no challenge from the
young Virginian, and he no doubt de-
termined that on his return to the
nited States he would enjoy the man
# honor's supreme satisfaction of pro-
;laiming throughout the navy as a
oward the man whom he had insulted
ut who had not dared to meet him on
he field.
The criuis lasted three years, during
all which time Mcknight was enjoying
ais fancied triumph, and Lawson suffer
ng from the insult The vessel return
ed to the port whence she had started
and about l P. NJ cast anchor in the
very spot where had three years before
occurred the scene we have described
above. The order of the captain was
that none should be permitted to go on
shore before dinner was over. In about
half an hour the meal was ready, and all
the mess went down. On his way
Lawson put quid Of tobacco into his
mouth, and took his accustomed seat
opposite to Mcknight.
When they were all seated an
ominous silence lasted for about half a
minute. Then the young Virginian
looked Mcknight steadily in the eyes
fDr some few seconds and said in calm
voice: Lieutenant Mcknight, three
years ago you insulted me in the
grossest manner, though l had given
you no provocation whatever. know