Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-03-19
THE CAPTAIN WAS NOT A DUEL
EST,

Did / ever tell you the story of
Captain Starkey, master and part
owner of the bark Neptune? Well,
here it is.
The bark lay in the port of Santi-
ago de Cuba, and quite party of
passengers were to go aboard of her.
Among them was NJ. Dupont.
Captain Starkey had left his ves-
sci to notify the passengers at the
hotel that all must go on board early.
During the conversation that fol-
lowed. Captain S. made some re-
marks at which M. Dupont, q fiery
creole, took Offense. In his anger,
the latter applied an epithet to the
Queen of England, which instantly
brought a glass of wine full in his
face from the hand of Captain
Starkey, who was an Englishman.
All the party were on their feet in
an instant, and apparently sobered,
or nearly so, by the unfortunate
issue of the wOrdy tumult.
Captain Starkey was the first to
speak. His flushed and angry fea-
lures paled suddenly to an almost
deadly white, and he stammered
out: AZ beg your pardon, M. Du-
pOnt. 1t was wrong, very wrong
in me to do so, though not inexcus-
able"
The fiery creole, Notwithstanding
the apology, at once challenged
Captain Starkey, but the latter
much to the surprise of all present,
declined to fight.
"Not fight, Captain Starkey?"
said Mr.. Dresmond. who had offered
to be his second with grave earnest
ness, after a painful pause; "you,
whose name is in the list of the
British Royal Navy, say this! You
must be jestingv'
II am perfectly serious. l am
opposed to dueling upon principle" :"
GA coward upon principle ~ fair
ly screamed Dupont, with mockIng
fury, and at the same time shaking
his clenehed fist at the Englishman.
The degrading epithet stnng like
a serpent. A gleam of fierce pas
sion broke out of Capt. Starkey's
dark eyes, and he made step to-
wards Dupont, but resolutely
checked himself.
"Well, it must be borne! was
wrong to offer you personal vio-
Ience. although your impertinence
certainly deserved rebuke. Still, L
repeat, I will not fight you"
s'But you shall give my friend
satisfaction !" exclaimed Lieut.. Ar
guellas, who was as much excited
as Dupont, cor by heaven L Will
post YOU as a bastard, not only
throughout this isle, but Jamaica"
Captain Starkey's only answer to
this menace was to cOolly ring the
sOaglette, and order the slave who
answered it to inform all the pas
sengers of the sailing of his vessel.
The indignation of the party against
the cowardice of Captain Starkey
was intense.
The next morning all were at the
appointed time on board the Nep-
tune.
Captain Starkey received us with
cool but civil indifference. The
sneers of Dupont and his intimate
friends did not in the least appear
TO affect him. Noticing this, Du-
pont approached the Captain and
HiSStu III AAiispCA tOHN NHO~SN ~
be heard by several OF the crew,
Coward 7" Then he would have
turned away, but was arrested by a
grasp of steel. "Listen, sir" said
Captain Starkey; individually /
hold for nothing whatever you may
say; but i am captain and king of
this ship, and | will permit no one
to beard me before the crew, and
lessen my authority over them. DO
you presume again to do so, and !
will put you in solitary confinement,
perhaps in irons, till we arrive in
jamaica" He then threw off his
startled auditor and walked for
ward. The passengers were all on
board the anchor, already apeak,
was brought home, the bows of the
ships fell slowly off, and we were in
a few moments running before the
wind for Point Morant.
We had just doubled the Point,
and were congratulating ourselves
on a safe arrival in port, when we
were startled by a huge get of flame
shooting up from the main hatch
way, which two seamen, for some