Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-02-05

brought proposals for hostile meeting
the next morning, the choice of weapons
being left to Romayne as the challenged
man.
1t was now quite plain to me that the
Generals peculiar method of card-play-
ing had, thus far, not been discovered
and exposed He might keep doubtful
company, and might-as afterward
heard-be suspected in certain quarters.
But that he still had, formally speaking,
a reputation to preserve, was proved by
the appearance of the two gentlemen
present as his representatives They
declared, with evident sincerity, that
Romayne had made fatal mistake, had
provoked the insult offered to him, and
had resented it by brutal and coward
ly outrage. AS man and soldier, the
General was doubly bound to insist on a
duel. No apology would be accepted
even if an apology were offered.
In this emergency, as l understood
it, there was but one course to follow.
l refused to receive the challenge.
Being asked for my reasons, 1 found
it necessary to speak within certain
limits. Though we kne v the Gen eral
to be cheat, it was delicate matter to
dispute his right to claim satisfaction,
when he had found two officers to carry
his message. Iproduced the seized cards
(which Romayne had brought away with
him in his pocket and offered them as q
formal proof tnaU ~. s.;-.,l h-1 not been
mistaken.
The seconds-evidently prepared for
this circumstance by their principal
declined to examine the cards. In the
first place, they said, not even the dis
covery of foul play (supposing the dis
covery to have been really made) could
Justify Romayne's conduct. In the
second place, the Generals high charac-
ter made it impossible, under any Cir
cumstances, that he could be RESPONSE
BILE. Like ourselves, he had rashly u.s.
sociated with bad company, and he had
been the innocent victim of an error or
fraud committed by some other person
present at the table.
Driven to my last resource, | could
now only base my refusal to receive the
challenge ON the ground that we were
Englishmen, and that the practice of
ducling had been abolished in England.
Both the seconds ut once declined to ac-
cept this statement in justification OF my
conduct.
"You are now in France" said the
elder of the two, "where duel is the
established remedy for an insult among
gentlemen. You are bound to respect
the social laws OF the country in which
you are for the time residing. Ifyou
refuse to do SO, you lay yourselves open
to public imputation Oh your courage
of nature too degrading to be moro
particularly alluded to. Let us adjourn
this interview for three hours. on the
ground of informality. We ought to
confer with two gentlemen, acting on
Mr.. Romayne's behalf. Be prepared
with another second to meet us, and
reconsider your decision before We call
again.
The Frenchmen had barely taken
their departure by one door, when Ro-
mayne entered by another.
81 have heard it all" he said, quietly.
"Accept the challenge"
I declare solemnly that 1 left no
means untried of opposing my friends
resolution. No man could have felt
more strongly convinced than I did that
nothing could justify the course he was
taking. My remonstrances were COM
pletely thrown away. He was deaf to
sense and reason from the moment when
he had heard an imputation on his cour-
age suggested as a possible result OF
any affair in which he was concerned.
"With your views" he said, "Iwont
ask you to accompany me to the ground
I can easily find French seconds. And,
mind this, if you attempt to prevent the
meeting, the duel will take place else
where, and our friendship is at On end
from that moment"
After this, I suppose it is needless to
add that I accompanied him to the
ground the next morning as his second
That night he made his will-in prep
aration for the worst that could happen.
What actually did happen was
equally beyond his anticipation and
mine.
V.
ya wara nunctual To the appointei