Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-06-20
Mr. LaDonehere an DaeIIIag.

/ was once ordered 10 proceed 70
Stockholm, and at this town | found "a
vor with my supesiors for the curioas
reason that I challenged an Austrian
charge dsaffaireSs Never was there a
more absurd affair. There vas an Eng
iishman who had been challenged BY a
Swede, whom b. declined % hssss.t A
few days later the Engiishman went
with nv Minister to box Ia the thea
fHes The next dav n club the AUS
frian charse daHaifes sAid Before ine
and others that Englishmen had odd
ideas Of honor. and more particularly
English Ministers. ! replied that Eng
lishmen were not Sc silly as TO fight
duels, and that The English Minister
was moi q dishonorable man for appear
ing in a theatre with his couniryman.
As it was generally felt that ought TO
challenge this Austrian, "put myself
in the hands" cf the French and Prus-
sian Ministers. A few hours later my
seconds came 10 me. expected that
they were going to tell me that the Aus
trian had apologized. Not at all. With
a cheerful SMILE they observed: "lt is
arranged for tomorrow morning-pis-
tOls." AT Z O'Clock, a. m, they reap
peared. Their couRtenances were down
cast. "I have lost the mould for the
bullets for nv duelling pistols, ubserv-
ed the Prussian, ''and we had TO borrow
a pair of pistols for whose accuracy of
aim I cannot vouch." This inwardly
reioiced me, but Of course pretended
to share in the regret Of my seconds.
We sat down TO an early breakfast.
"You are young, | am old, sand the
Frenchman: "woald that | could take
your place" / wished it as sincerely
as he did, but tried TO assume an air
of rather liking my position, and grim
ned a CHASTITY grin. Then We started
for the park. The opposition had not
arrived; bat there was a surgeon who
had been kindly requested 10 attend by
my sympatbizing friends. "An acci-
dent may happen" observed the Prus-
sian; "do you wish to coniide TO me any
dispositions that you may desire to be
carried out after :''-and he sighed
in a horribly suggestive manner. No,
! said; had nothing particular to con-
fide: aud as | looked at the surgeon
thought what an idiot | was TO make
myself the target for an Austrian TO aim
at, in order to establish the principle
that Englisbmen have perfect right TO
decline to fight duels. There was a
want OF logic about the entire proceed
ing that went to my heart. To be killed
IS bad enough, but to be killed paradox
ically is still worse. Soon the Austrian
and his seconds appeared. never felt
more dismal in my life. The Austrian
stood apart. stood apart. The sur
geon already eyed me as subject"
The seconds consulted; then the French
man stepped out twelve PAGES. lie
had very short legs and they seemed to
me shorter than everp After this came
the loading of the pistols. Sometimes,
| thought, seconds do. not put in the
bullets; this comGorted me, bat only for
a moment, for the bullets were rafnmed
down with cheerful energy. By this
time we had been placed facing each
other. A pistol was given to each Of
US. al am to give the signal, - said the
Prussian; 'I shall count one, two, three,
and then at the word fire, you viii both
fire. Gentlemen, are you ready :" We
both nodded. "One, two, three, fire ~
and both our pistols went Off No harm
had been done. felt considerably re-
lieved, when to my horror the French
man stepped up to me and said: 81
think | ought TO demand second shot
for YOU, but mind if nothing occurs again
I shall not allow third shot" "Ye-es," "
I said; so we had a second shot with
the same result. Knowing that my
Frenchman was a man of his word, /
felt now that might, at no risk to my
self. display my yslor; so demanded
a third shot. The seconds consulted
together; for a moment feared that
they were going to grant my request.
and | was greatly relieved when they
informed me that they considered
that two shots were amply suf-
fcient. ] was delighted, but preten-
ded to be most unhappy, and religious
" kept up the farce OF being an aggriev-
ed person. Now, there is this curious
AnluI &bbHA 0GIAFg hus%tg 81 ltoFNs AZ
counts for principals taking things so
quietly. Before the duel one feels most
uncomfortable, to judge by my expe-
rience, but when one has 10 fire one is
so engaged in listening for the signal
that 1t does no! occur to one that one
may be hit. A good shot would, ] take
IL, be able 10 take a deliberate aim Un-
disturbed by any nervous trepidation
from bis target also aiming at him, be-
cause the nervous tripidatioh, however
strong it may be beforehand, by some
curious disposition Of nature disappears
when you are actually firing. Much
gAS same things occurs in battle. The
uSt5Ieasant moment i, according 10 the
experhaee of soldiers, that just before
gong nlsJcr fire. or when the FIRE j. not
SO sooA a. soldiers are them
selves firiSs& one idea excludes anoth-
eF, and thefrer1snas are 50 occupied with
what they ihsasselves are doing. that
they forget the 6&ssser.--LOndon Truth.