St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1878-07-13
MIR. LsabOucEaere ON DueEsng,
tLOndOn TRUTH

was once ordered to proceed to Stock
holm, and at this town I found favor
with my superiors tor the curious rea-
son that challenged an Austrian CHARGE
dafialres. Never was there more an
surd affair. There was an Englishman
who had been challenged by a SwreIa
whom lie declined to fight. A few DAYS
later the Englislman went With nv Min
lister to box in The theatre. The next
gay at a club the Austrian charge DAT
IalfHs SAID before ne and others that
Ehg'lShmen had odd ideas Of honor, and
more particularly English Minister'S.
replied That Englishmcn were not SO
shy as to tight dutls, and that the Eng
llsi MINISTER Was net u diShonorahle
man Tor appearing in a theatre with
telt that | ought to challenge this Aus
TRAN, put myself in the hands of
the FRENCH and Prussian Ministers. A
lew hours later my seconds came to me.
expected that they were going to tell
me That the Austrian had apologized.
Not at all. With cheerful smile they
observed: It is arranged for tomorrow
mornlDg-pistols." Al Z a. IN. they re-
appeared. Their comtenances were
doWncast. :" have lost the mould for
the bullets for my dueling PISTOLS" OBJ
SelVeu Ihe fFuSSiah, and we had to
borrow pair Of pistols, for whose &C
cufacy OF ann | can not vouch.7 This
lnWardly rejoiced me, but of course
pretended to share in the regret Of NV
seconds, We sat down to an early
breakfast. You are young, 7 am old ;
said the Frenchman "wonld that 7
could take your place" I wished it As
sincerely as he did, but [ tried to as
sumo an air OF rather liking my position,
and gr1nned CHASTITY grin. Then we
started for the park. The oDposition
had not arrived; but there was a sur-
geon who had been kindly requested to
attend by my sympathizing friends.
An accident may happen,1 observed
the Frusslan; do you wish to confide
to me any dispositions that you may
deslre to be carried out after ?''-and
ne signed ID horribly suggestive man.
her. NO, SAID; had nothing particu-
laf TO conflde; and as ! looked at the
surgeon I thought what an idiot I WINS
70 make myself the target for an Aus
tran to aim at, in order to establish the
principle that Englishmen have a per
feet fright to decline to fight duels. There
was want of logic about the entire
proce,edlng that went to my heart. To
De killed is bad enough, but to be killed
paradoXlcally is still worse. Soon the
Austrian and his seconds appeared |
never felt more dismal in my life. The
Austrian stood apart. [ stood apart.
The surgeon already eyed me as a Sub
Iect." The seconds consulted then the
enchman stepped out twelve PAGES.
- had very short legs, and they seemed
to me shorter than ever. After this
came the loading of the pistols. Some
tunes, thought, seconds do not put in
the bullets; this comforted me, but only
for moment, for the bullets were
Tammed down with cheerful energy.
by this time we bad been placed facing
each other. A pistol was given to each
or US. am to give the signal" said
tue PrussIan: / shall count one, two,
three. and then at the word fire, you
will both fire. Gentlemen, are YOU
ready Y" We both nodded. "Oue, two,
three, fire and both our pistols went
Off. No harm had been done. | felt
considerably relieved, when to my hor-
ror the FrencImen stepped up to me
and said: think that | ought to de-
mand a second shot for you, but mind,
II nothing occurs again | shall notalloW
third shot" "Ye'cs, | said; so we
had a second shot with the same result.
Knowing that my Frenchman was a
man OF his word, felt now that I might
at no risk to myself display my valor, so
| demanded third shot. The seconds
consulted together; for a moment [
feared that they were going to grant my
request, and | vas greatly relieved when
they Informed me that they considered
that two shots were amply sufficient. |
was delighted, but | pretended to be
most unhappy, and religiously kept up
the farce OF being an aggrieved person.