The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-28
THE PISTOL SHOT.
From the Russian OF Alexander Sergueyitch
POushkin.

We were quartcrcd at -. The daily 70
tine of an officer in the army Is notunknow
Drills and the riding school in the mornln!
dinner at the commandments quarters or IN
Jewish eating house, and cards ana pune
in the evening constitute the days wor
There was no society at - nor were thei
any marrageablc girls; we used to meet
each others rooms, where only men in un
form were to be seen.
One civilian however was admitted VIII
in our circle. He might have reached tn
age of five and thirty, and we therefore looH
ed upon him as greatly our senior i'll year,
His large experience secured to him Cel
tain amount OF Difference, and his usual mo
roseness, his stern and sarcastic disposition
exercised a powerful influence over ou
youthful imaginatiOns His past career
seemed shrouded in mystery, Though bear
ing foreign name, he was apparently Rus
sian. lie had served at one time in the hus
sars. and had even been fortunate in protes
SiOnal advancement None of us knew the
reason WHY he had retired from the service
and taken up his abode in this Wrctchcd
neighborhood, where he lived penuriously,
and vet extravagantly He invariably went
out on foot, when he was always seen in a
black surtout the worse for wear, but at the
same time he kept open house for all the Off
GERS of our regiment. Truth to tell, two or
three dishes, cooked by an old pcnsloner
constituted his dinner, but on the other hand,
champagne flowed at his table, His circum
stances and income were unknown, and none
Of Ms presumed to ask any questions about
either His only books were works connect
ed with military service, and some novels
which he willingly lent, never asking to have
them returned, but neither did he give those
back he borrowed. IFS chef pastimc con.
sisted in pistol practice. The walls of his
apartment were rddled and perforated like al
honeycOmb. 4 valuable collection of pistols
formed the only luxury of his humble habita.
ton. The degree of perfection he had at.
tanned in this art was uncomfortable, and had
lie required TO shoot pear on any ones head,
not one Of our fellows would have heSitated
to offer himself Our conversation would
often turn Oh the subject Of duelling. SilvioI
(as | shall name HIM never joined in it, and
when asked whether he had ever had occa-
sion to fight, would dryy answer that he
had; but he entered upon no details, and it'll
was evident that these and similar questions
were distastetul to him. We concluded that
the recollection Of some unfortunate victim
TO this dreadful accomplishment troubled his
conscience, the idea Of cowardice never even
suggested itself. There are people whose eX.
terror alone suiilccs TO disarm such suspic.
ions. An unexpected occurrence discomfort.
ed US all.
some ten OF US were one day dining with
Silvio. We drank as usual-that is, excessive.
ly-and after dinner we cndcavorcd to pre-.
vail upon our host to be the banker in a game
Of faro. For some time he persisted in de.
clinng, for he seldom played, but at length
he ordered the cards to be brought threw tif.
ty ducals on the table, and commenced to
deal We all took our places and the game
lpTlu SIlVlD wont tn lann thn oct
silence on such such occasions, never discus
sing or explaining anything If the puntcr
ehanccd to make mistake, he either paid
up the balance Immediately, or noted the sur
plus. We were already aware OF this and
therefore never lntcr'ored. But OF our mum. |
Der there was young officer who had lately |
Joined. He took part in the game, and in Il |
tit OF absence bent down one corner too many |
Sllvlo took up the chalk and rectifed the
score, as was his custom. The officer, think
ing he was mistaken, began to explain mat
tiers. Silvio continued dealing in silence
The officer losing patience, rubbed out what
appeared to him unnecessary. Silvio, taking
up the chalk, again marked the score The
officer, excited with wine, and by the game
and the laughter OF his comrades, imagined |
himscl cruelty offended, and in his passion
he lifted a metal candlcstick off the table and
threw it at Silvio, who had barely time to
cyade the blow. We felt confused. SilvioI
rose, and with fire in his eyes said: "Plcasc
10 walk out sir and thank your stars that
this has happened under my roof"
We did not doubt the consequences and |
we looked upon our new comrade as Il dead |
man. He walked out declaring himself rea.
dy to answer for the affront in such manner
as the banker might elect The game was
continued for few moments longer, but,
feeling how little our hosts thoughts were in
1t, we left, one by one, and repaired to our
quarters, discussing the possibility of
speedy vacancy.
When we met in the ridingsChoo on the
following day, we Immediately inquired of
each other if our poor ensign was still alive.
When he himself appeared, we greeting him.
putting the same question! He replied that
he had heard nothing of Silvio as yet This
surprised US. We went TO SIlyIo, and found
him IN the yard sending bullet after bullet
into an ace Of cards, which he had fixed to
the gate. He received us as usual, not allud,
ing TO the event of the preceding evening
Three days elapsed, and the ensign still lived.
we asked III establishment: Can it be posi-
Die that Silvlo will not fight" SilviO did /
not l5ht a very slight explanation satisfied
MN, and peace was restored ,
Such conduct might have injured him cx ,,
:
want OF pluck is what young men excuse
leas', lor they generally consider 1t the high
EST OF human virtucs-onc that covers a null ,
utude OF sins. However, little by little, all
influence.
alone could not become rcconcilcd to
MN. Beng naturally OF II romantic turn of
hliho, had, more than anybody, attached
myself TO the man whose very existence was
an enigma, and who appeared to me to be the
nero oi some mysterious event He liked me,
AZ least IL was to me alone that he laid aside
MS usual cutting, illnatureu observations
ana mat nc conversed upon various subjects ,
win perfect good nature and rare pleasant. ,
ness. But could not subsequently TO that
unfortunate evening rid myself of the ,dca
That his honor had been furnished and ,hnt =,
II was his own doing that the stain had moi 4.
been removed, This thought prevented nv
feeling toward him as | had hitherto donS
ana felt ashamed To LOOK upon him. Silvia
was FAR too clever and too shrewd not To M.
ucc this and not to divine the cause. He an