St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-02-14

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containing several cartridges, and gave
me one of them. 1 asked if he meant to
signify by this that our men were to be
allowed but one shot apiece. He replied
that the French code permitted no
more. l then begged him to go on and
suggest a distance, for my mind was
growing weak and confused under the
strain which had been put upon it. He
named sixty-ive yards. nearly lost
my patience. / said,
Sixtyfive yards, with these instru-
ments POp-guns weuld be deadlier at
fifty. Consider, my friend, you and l
are banded together to destroy life, not
make it eternal"
But with all my persuasiOns, all my
arguments, was only able to get him
to reduce the distance to thirty-five
yards; and even this concession he made
with reluctance, and said with sigh,-
81 wash my hands of this slaughter
on your head be it,"
There was nothing for me to do but
to go home to my old liOn-heart and
tell nay humiliating story. When | en-
tered, NJ. Gambetta was laying his last
lock of hair upon the alter. He sprang
toward me, exclaiming,-
"YOu have made the fatal arrange
ments,-I see it in your eyen'
81 have"
His face paled a trit1e, and he leaned
upon the table for support. He breath
ed thick and heavily for moment or
two, so tumultuous were his feelings !;
then he hoarsely whispered,-
"The weapon, The weapon Quick
what is the weapon I"
This" and displayed the silver
mounted thing. He caught but one
glimpse of it, then swooned pOnderOus-
ly to the floor.
When he came to, he said mournful-
ly,-
.The natural calm to which | have
subjected myself has told upon my
nerves. But away with weakness | will
confront nv fate like man and a
Frenchman."
He rose to his feet, and assumed an
attitude, which for sublimity has never
been approached by man, and has sell
dom been surpassed by statues. Then
he said, in his deep bass tones,-
"Behold, | am calm, | am ready re-
veal to me the distance"
F ''Thirty-tive yards"
could not lift him up, of course but
| rolled him over and poured water
down his back. He presently came to
aud said,-
"Thirtv-five vards--without il rest
But why ask Since murder was that
MINIS intention, why should he palteI
with small details? But mark you one
thing in my fall the world shall see
now chivalry of France meets death"
After long silence he ashed,-
Il. II. hot rn1s
family standing up with him, as an of
set to my bulk but no matter; would
not stOop to make such suggestion
, if he is not noble enough to suggest il
5 himself, he is welcome to this advan-
tage, which no honorable man would
? take"
: He now sank into a sort of stupor Of
reflection, which lasted some minutes
after which he broke silence with,-
The hour,-what is the hour fixed
for the collision n
Dawn, to morrow"
He seemed greatly surprised, and i'm
, diately said,-
1 "Insanity! | never heard of such &
e thing. Nobody is abroad at such al
2 hour"
That is the reason l named it. Dc
D you mean to say you want an audi
e ence 2
at is no time to handy words. an
astonished that NJ. Fourtou should ever
have agreed to SO strange an innovation
< Go at once and require later houI."
a ran down stairs, threw open the
S front door, and almost plunged into the
arms of NJ. Fourtou's second. He said =
e Il have the honor to say that my
S principal strenuously objects to the
t hour chosen, and hegs that you vii
4 consent to change it to half past nine
e "Any courtesy, sir, which is in oul
!. power to extend is at the service o
your excellent principal. We agree tt
: the proposed change of time"
D II beg you to accept the thanks %
# my client" Then he turned to IA per
= son behind him and said, ''You hear
e NJ. Noir, the hour is altered to half pas
nlue." Whereupon NJ. Noir bowed
expressed his thanks, and went away
4 My accomplice continued:
''lf agreeable to you, your chief sur
$ geons and ours shall proceed to the
field in the same carriage, us is Gus
t tomary."
b at is entirely agreeable to me, anC
| am obliged to you for mentioning the
t surgeons, for | am afraid should no
have thought of them. How many
shall want suppose two or thre,
|. will be enough ?"
S 1.-TWO is the customary number fel
each party. l refer to chief surgeons
e but, considering the exalted positions
t occupied by our clients, it will be wei
+. and decorous that each of us appoin
Il several consulting surgeons from among
# the highest in the profession. Thes'
y will come in their own private car
e riages. Have you engaged hearse |?
'Bless my stupidity, l never though
g of it. will attend to it right away
d | must seem very ignorant to you; bu
IS you must try to overlook that, because
It l have never had any experience o
S such a swell duel as this before.
have had good deal to do with duel
e on the Pacific coast, but l see now tina
they were crude affairs. A hearse,-
II shO ! we used to leave the elected lyin;
Il around loose, and let anybody corr
J. them up and cart them off that wante,
) to. Have you anything further to sug
u gest P
o Nothing except that the head under
it takers shall ride together, as is usual
II The subOrdinates and mutes will 90 o.
1t foot, as is also usual. | will see YOU a
eight o'clock in the morning, and w
is will then arrange the order of the pro
If cession. l have the honor to bid YOU
,, good day"
l. | returned to my client, who said
) ''Very well; at what hour is the en-
gagement to begin ?"
:, "Half past nine.n
d every rood indeed Hava you sa,