The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-02-07


have been entirely disheartened but that
I occasionally crippled one of the boys,
and that encouraged me to hope.
At last we began to hear pistol-shots
near by, in the next ravine. We knew
what that meant. The other party was
out practicing too. Then ! was in the
last degree distressed; for, Of course,
those people would hear our shots, and
they weuld send spies over the ridge,
and the spies would find my barn-door
without wound or scratch, and that
would simply he the end of me-for that
other man would Immediately become as
bloodthirsty as was. Just at this mo-
ment a little bird, no larger than spar
row, few by, and lit on a sage-bush,
thirty PAGES away; and my little second,
who was matchless marksman with a
pistol-much better than | was--snatch-
ed out his revolver and shot the birds
head off, We all ran to pick up the
game, and, sure enough, just at this mo-
ment some of the other duelists came re-
connoitering over the little ridge. They
ran to our group to see what the matter
was and when they saw the bird, Lords
second said:
THAT was a splendid shot. How far
off was it?"
Steve said, with some Indifference:
"Oh, no great distance. About thirty
PAGES"
Thirty PAGES Heaven alive, who
did it'"
"My man-Twain."
"The mischief he did Can he do II
oftenY'
"Well-yes. He can do it about
well, about four times out Of five
knew the little rascal was lying, but
l never said nothing. never told him
so. He was not of a disposition to in
vite confidence of that kind, SO let the
matter rest. But it was comfort to see
those people look sick, and see their un-
der jaws drop, when Steve made these
statements. They went off and got
Lord, and took him home; and when we
got home, half an hour later, there was
a note saying that MIR. Lord peremptorily
declined to fight
1t was a narrow escape. We found
out afterwards that Lord had hit his
mark thirteen times in eighteen shots.
IF he had put those thirteen bullets
through me, it would have narrowed my
sphere of usefulness good deal-would
have well nigh closed it, in fact. True,
they could have put pegs in the holes
and used me for hat-rack; but what is
a hat-rack to man who feels he has in
tellectual powers? l would scorn such
position.
/ have written this true incident of
my personal history for one purpose only
to warn the youth of the day against
the pernicious practice of dueling, and
to plead with them to war against it. If
the remarks and suggestions lam making
can be of service to Sunday-school teach
ers and newspapers interested in the
moral progress of society, they are at
liberty to use them, and shall even be
grateful to have them widely dissent
mated, so that they may do as much good
as possible. / was young and foolish
when challenged that gentleman, and |
thought it was very fine and very grand
to be duelist, and stand "upon the field
of honor" But | am older and more
experienced now, and am inflexibly op
posed to the dreadful custom. think
it is every mans duty to do everything
he can to discourage dueling. ! always
do it now; j discourage it OH every oc-
casion.
If man were to challenge me'now-
now that l can fully appreciate the in
iquity of that practice-I would go to
that man, take him by the hand and
lead him to quiet, retired room-and
kill him.