Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-01-31

"
\ several consulting surgeons from among
the highest in the profession. These
will come in their own private carriages
Have YOU engaged L hearses"
BLESS my stupidity, | never thought
oft, will attend 70 il right away,
must seem very ignorant to YOU; hut
you must try To overlook that, because
| have never had amy experience u
such i swell duel rs this before. !
have had good deal 10 do with duelS
on the pacific coast, hut see now that
they We're crude affairs. 4 hearse--
sho, we used to leave the elected lying
aroQnd loose, and LEI ANYBODY cord
them up and cart them OIL that wanted
to- Have Won ANYTHING further 10 sug.
geSt9'
" Nothing, except that the head I'M.
dertakers shall ride together, as il usual
/ The subordlnates anC mutes will 20 on
foot, rs is also usual. | will see you
ut So'clock iii the morning, and We will
then arrange the order of the process.
sion. | have the honor to hid YOU 4
good day"
| returned to my client, who said
Very well; Mt what hour is the engage.
ment to Begin
"Halfpast 9,
Very good indeed. Have you sent
the fact to the newspapes?n
"SW II after our long and intimate
friendship you can for a moment deem
me capable of 50 base 4 treachery---'
Tut, tut! What words are these my
dear friend? Have l wounded you .
All, forgive me; am overlooking you
with labor Therefore 90 on with the
other details, and drop this one from
your list. The bloody minded Foartou
will he sure to attend to ii. Or | my
self-yeS, to make certain, | will drop
note to my journalistic friend
| Nj. Noir"
ooh, come to think, you may save
yourself the trouble; that other second
is NJ. Noir."
HIM! | might have known it. 1t is
just like that Fourtou. who always
wants TO make n display
At half-past 3 III the morning the pro-
cession approached the field of Plossis-
Plluet i'll the following order: First
came our carriage nobody in it but
Nj. Gambetta and myself; then car
riage containing Nj. Fourtou and his
second; then carriage containing two
poet-orators who did not believe in God,
and these had Ms. funeral orations pro-
jecting from their breast pockets; then
Il carriage containing the head surgeons
and their cases of Instruments; then
eight private carriages containing con-
sultlng surgeons; then Il hack contain
ing the coroner; then the two hearses,
then carriage containing the head
undertakers; then train Of assistants
and mutes on FOOT and after these
came plodding through the fog u long
procession of camp followers, police,
and citizens generally 1t was noble
turnout, and would have made fine
display if we had thinner weather.
There was no conversation. ! spoke
several times To my principal, but
Judge he was not aware of i, for he
always referred TO his notebook and
muttered absently, | die that France
may live
Arrived on the field, my fcllow-Becond
and | paced oil the .thirty-hvc yards
and then drew lots for choice of posi-
ton. This latter was but an ornamcn-
tai ceremony, for all choices were alike
in such weather These preliminarics
being ended, went to my principal and
asked him ii he was ready. He spread
himself out to his full width, and said
III stern voice, Ready Let the bat
teries be charged"
The loading was done in the presence
Of duly constituted witnesses. We con.
sidered it best to perform this delicate
service with the assistance of a lantern,
on account of the state of the weather.
We now placed our men.
At this point the police noticed that
the public had massed themselves to-
gether on the right and left OF the field;
they therefore begged delay, while
they should put these poor people in a
place Of safety. The request was
granted.
The police having ordered the two
multitudes 10 take positions behind the
duelists, we We're once more ready.
The weather growing still more Opaque,
1t was agreed between myself and the
ether second that before giving the fatal
signal we should each deliver n loud
whoop to enable the combalants to as
certain each others whereabouts.
now returned to my principal, and
was distressed to observe that he had
lost a good deal Of his spirit / tried
my best to hearten him. ! said :" In.
deed, sir, things are not MS bad as they
seem. Considering the character Of the
weapons, the limited number oi shots
allowed, the generous distance, the inn
penetrable solldity Of the fog, and the
added fact that one Of the combatants
is one-eyed and the other cross-eyed and
near.sighted, il seems to me that this
conflict need not necessarily be fatal.
There are chances that both OF you may
survive. Therefore cheer up; do not
be down-hearted.
This speech had SO good an effect
that my principal Immediately stretch.
ed forth his hand and said, II am my
self again; give me the weapon
laid Il, all lonely aud forlorn. in the
centre Of the vast solitude Of his palm.
He gazed at il and shuddercd. And
still mournfully contemplating it, he
~, ~ -, a. LrnLz., ,,1,on