The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-05-29
with my intimate friend, Ned How

"'Come, Holroyd, let's get SOM
soda water, and then turn in. Yo
must get your hand steady, for Fra
ser is sure to challenge you to-mor
row." he said.
81 took his advice and the bever
age he recommended, and was vi
bright and early the following morn
ing. About ten o'clock, Captain
Raper came to my quarters. II,
took seat and peg before he ex
planned his mission. As l had ex
pected, he was the bearer of a car
let from Mr.. Fraser.'"
"This is devilish unpleasant bus
mess, altogether, Holroyd-; /; but
suppose you perceive there Is nc
other alternative. Will you nam,
your friend, for / don't suppose yor
intend to apologize" said the Cap
tain, who bore the reputation of be
ing a fre-eater.
81 told HIM | should leave every
thing in the hands of Lieutenan
Howson, and he went to get tha
gentleman, to arrange prelimina
ries.
"About midday my friend came t.
me, and told me he had agreed with
Mr.. Fraser's second as to the place
the time of meeting, and weapons to-
be used in the forthcoming duel. He
elso limited that if had any letters
to write tease of accident, it would
be as we'll to do them at once said
he would call and accompany me to
the rendezvous at dawn the next
morning; and, when / thanked him,
and promised to prepare myself for
the slaughter, he left to hunt up the
doctor, leaving me to reflect upon
my position.
"Dueling was much in vogue at
that period, but / had never before
been principal in an affair Ghoa.
neur, and confess, my feelings up.
on this occasion were not pleasant
ones.
"In the first place, l liked Mr..
Fraser very much, and / knew full
we'll that he would never have pro-
voked me to strike him had he not
been under the influence of liquor.
But it had been done and moth
ing could avert a hostile meeting un.
less l accorded him an ample and
abject apologize do which would
have required far more courage than
to fight, for should have been stIg-
matized as coward and completely
ostracised by my brother officers.
"1t was the rainy season, and toll
erably cool, so when I had finished
putting my house in order, as How
son had advised, sat out for long
walk, thinking that exercise would
steady my nerves, which were con-
siderably unstrung by the effects of
the potations of the previous night. !"
GAS l strolled leisurely upon my
way, / pendered upon my past life,
l thought of how, barely four years
before, / had set out from home full
of hope and ambition, the hope of
winning fame and name in the pro-
fession l had chosen, earnest in my
heart and now, before l had even
fleshed my maiden sword, before l
was even launched upon my career,
l had placed myself in a position
that it was more than probably my
hopes, my zeal, my ambition and my
life, would be cut down like flow
er / cursed the enemy man puts
in his mouth to steal away his brains.
l thought Of the happy home in
"Fatherland" that would be made
desolate by my death (; I thought of
the dear loved ones that would mourn
me there, and my heart was filled
with bitter anguish-misery that was
not decreased when / reflected that
even if l was spared and my adver-
sary fell, it would be my hand that
would plunge his widow into sea
of grief, and leave fatherless his in
nocent child.
81 was aroused from this bitter
train of thought by the hollow thud
of pid-advancing hoofs, and look
ing up, saw a lady whose face was
totally unfamiliar to me, vainly en-
deavoring to restrain a mettlesome
horse she was riding. The first
glance told me she was skillful
Equestrian, the second, that she was
unacquainted with the locality, for
she evidently seemed bent on taking
the fire out of her steed by urging
him forward and to 60 forward !
knew full well M cant to rush headlong
into obstruction, for right in that di,
rection lay, half concealed by bush
es. a deep nullah or water course
down which a torrent, swollen by
the recent rains, rolled in rushing
cataracts over the rock-strewn bed.
"Turn, madam, turn for your life
there is danger ahead !" as / rushed
toward the point for which she was
heading.
"The lady turned her face, and
saw that it was as fair as an angels
l was near enough to see the bloom
of excitement fade from her cheeks
when she heard my warning-neal
enough to see that the horse was nov
beyond her control, and that q cat
astrophe was inevitable.
GA swift runner, ] started forwart
at full speed, and gained the brink 0
the nullah just in time to see tn
horse and its rider disappear from
view in the boiling flood that surge,
at my feet. For few seconds
stood paralyzed; then saw tn
animal struggle to the surface, an
free herself. There was little chanc
of saving her, l knew it would b
almost madness to attempt it but
flashed across my mind that it woul,
be better to end life in a bold effo1
to rescue fellow creature, than t
meet death at the hand of my frien
of yesterday. l doffed my boots, m
hat and coat, and plunged into tn
seething flood. The circling eddie
bore me downward and onward, bu
l was strong swimmer, and struc
out bravely until l gained the sui
face, gained it just in time to gras
the trailing riding habit of the lad
l essayed to save. l twined on
arm around her waist and drew he
head upon my shoulder, while th
rushing, foaming torrent bore U
along over rocks that bruised an
tore our flesh, through deep, whirlin
pools, that strove to suck US under
and down steep cascades, whese tn
waters broke with Kissing roal
though they merrily cleaned an