The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-07-04

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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: cit is arranged tor to-
morrow morning-pistols." At seven
o'clock q. m. they reappeared. Their
cOuntenances were downcast. 81 have
lost the mold for the bullets for my
dueling pistols" observed the Prussian,
''and we had to borrow pair of pis-
tolls, for whose accuracy of aim can
not 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, 1 am DID," said the Frenchman;
" would that I could take your place. y
l wished it as sincerely as he did, but ]
tried to assume an air of rather liking
my position, and l grinned CHASTITY
grin. Then we started for the park.
The opposition had not arrived; but
there was surgeon who had been
kindly requested to attend by my SYM
pathizing friends. can accident may
happen" observed the Prussian; edo
you wish to confide to me any DISPOSE
tons that you may desire to be carried
out afterP"-- and he sighed in hor-
ribly suggestive manner. No, l said;
had nothing particular to confide; and
as looked at the surgeon l thought
what an idiot I was to make myself the
target for an Austrian to aim at. in or.
der TO establish the principle that En-.
glishmen had perfect right to decline
to fight duels. There was q want OF
logic about the entire proceeding that
went to my heart. To be killed is bad
enough, but to be killed paradoxically
is still worse. Soon the Austrian and his
seconds appeared. Inever felt more dis.
malin my life. The Austrian stood apart.
l stood apart. The surgeon already
eyed me as "subject." The seconds
consulted; then the Frenchman stepped
out twelve PAGES. He had very short
legs, and they seemed to me shorter
than ever. After this came the loading
of the pistols. Sometimes, l thought,
seconds do not put in the bullets; this
comforted me, but only for moment,
for the bullets were rammed down with
cheerful energy. By this time we had
been placed facing each other. A pis-
toll was given to each of us. 81 am to
give the signal" said the Prussian; "l
shall count one, two, three, and then
at the word fire, you will both fire.
Gentlemen, are you ready?" We both
nodded. "One, two, three, firer' and
both our pistols went off. No harm
had been done. l felt considerably re.
lieved, when to my horror the French.
man stepped up to me and said: 81
think that l int to demand second
shot for you; but mind, if nothing oc.
ours again / shall not allow third
shot," "Ye-es," said; so we had a
second shot with the same result
Knowing that my Frenchman was a
man of his word, l felt 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 was greatly relieved
when they informed me that they con.
sidered that two shots were amply suf
ficient. was delighted, but pretend
ed to be most unhappy, and religiously
kept up the farce Of being an aggrieved
person. Now, there is this curious
thing about duels, which, suppose
accounts for principals taking things SC
quietly. Before the duel one feels mos
uncomfortable, to judge by my expert
ence, but when one has to fire one is
so engaged in listening for the sigma
that it does not occur to one that ONT
may be hit. A good shot would, l tax,
it, be able to take a deliberate aim un
disturbed by any nervous trepidatior
from his target also aiming at him. be
cause the nervous trepidation, however
strong it may be beforehand, by some
curious disposition of Nature, disap
pears when you are firing. Much tn
same thing occurs in battle. The un
pleasant moment is, according to tn,
experience of soldiers, that just before
going under fire, Or when the fire is no
returned. So soon as soldiers ar
themselves firing, one idea excludes an
other, and their minds are so occupie,
with what they themselves are doin:
that they forget the danger.-Lo'sdo'
Truth.