Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-06-25
The Code Fully Explained.

From tle bfnok4lL
 My dear" said Mrs, SpoOpenyke ex-
 aminIng the baby's feet critically, to see
 If they were both alike, my dear, l see
 that one of the strikers, or capital, has
 been hurt; do you know the facts about it?'
 "How hurt2 what did 1t say?" asked
 MT. SpOOpendyke, turning from the glass and strappIng his razor.
 "I don't remember exactly, but he
 went down to a slaughter-house to get something for his family, and somebody snOt hIm m the legs.
 That's the way 1t happened, was itg' demanded Mir. SpOOpendyke, grinning through bis lather. "He didn't go to his family for a pair of legs and somebody shot him in the slaug ter-hCuse, did he? ! Nor he didn't go down to his legs for siaughter-house and somebody shot him Tn the family That wasn't the way # read, was ity'
 "No-o-o, think not" replied Mrs. ! SpOOpendyke dUbiOusly. "Im sure lt was something about slaughter-house and legs. Do yoH know how It happened?'
 lies, l know how 1t happenedr' mocked Mir. SpOOpendyke, begging away at his visage with the razor. If l hadn't found out away from home I'd always been puzzled about 1t, though. Two gentlemen fought duel, and one got shot. That's all {; ere IS iu II"
 ''l knew there'd be some trouble as soon as l read about those strikes" con hdently continued Mrs. SpOOpendyke.
 What's he strike to do with .t:" vO ciferated NIT. SpoOpeudyke. think he struck for another shot? Cot a notion he struck for more legs, haven't ye? It would have been bad Idea, that?' sO- lIlOquiZed Mir. SpOOpendy he, rather im- pressed wIththe combined riginality and utility of that class of strike.
 "Did he get shot m both legs.' queri- ed Mrs. SpOOpendyke. "It must have been cannon ball, or else he held his legs Tn front of each other"
 That's the way he did it," mOaned Mr. SpOOps ndyke. "They always do that. When they are fighting duel they sit down like a tailor or a Turk. What dye think they fight with, forts? Got some kind of a vague idea that they fight with line of battle ships2 Who said any thing about cannon balls? Pistols, I tell yel They fought with pistols, and one of them hit the other! Roll that information around in your ten acre intelligence"
 Certainly" faltered Mrs. SpoOpen- dyke. But tell me, dear, why should Oue man shoot another for gong to the slaughter-hOusey'
 Holy herringT calculated Mir. SpOOp- endyke. "He went there to get shot It was agreed upon. The man who shot him had reflected on his honor and he went there to satisfy 1t.
 And did 1t satisfy honor to shoot him in the legsY asked Mrs. SpoOpendyke.
 That was as near as he could get tOlt. I tell you that when man fights duel he wipes out an insult, whether he gets shot in the legs or the ear. lt makes no difference"
 "I should think it would" mumured Mrs. Spoopendyke. 1t would to ne. 50 his honor Is all right BOW. IS it?"
 "Of course 1t Is" replied Mir. SpoOpen- ! dyke, wiping his face. Suppose you 1 can reason on the subject without any ! further information from meY'
 ''I guess so, ruminated Mrs. SpOOpeu- | dyke. As I understand 1t, if a mans | honor Is hurt all he's got to do Is get | shot in the legs, though l don't see why ! he didn't shoot himself, unless it was | that he couldn't reach around"
 That's just the reasOnF rOared M5. | SpOopendyke. "He shot at himself ID I the looking glass all the morning, and couldn't make # work, so he hired man to do 1t for him. It took your shOt tower intellect to see into it. What you want LOW is a squint in one eye and some dOd gasted friends to interfere tl be a rivised edition of the measly code! 1T you only had somebody to chalk Ofi six paces on you and squad of police with bench warrant, you'd be a regui ar Bladensburgl I'm going out to fight duel and get shotl Think you'd under stand 1t then? If [ had bullet through | both legs, would you want any more in- formatiou?"
 "NO dear," sighed Mrs. SpOopendyke, | and as her husband tossed his shaving brush into the baby's crib and slammed out the door, she began to think that a man shouldn't keep his honor in bis legs if they couldn't take better care of it.