The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1883-04-28
The Fast Duel.

under the command of the Prince d
Joinville, either for the purpose o
victualing and watering, OF givin,
her officers and men a short respit
from their duties, dropped her anchO
in the beautiful harbor of Pensacola
The usual courtesies having been OBJ
served on the part of the American
men-Of-war toward the friendl,
stranger, there commenced a series
Of balls and fetes in honor of he,
arrival, . and in token of he
welcome, which were duly reciproca
ted by the gallant Frenchman
at one of these fetes, given on boarC
La Belle Poule, there was, among
many other guests from the city, {
Mrs. Robbins, q woman we'll calcu'
lated, from the elegance Of her per
son and beauty OF her manners, tt
take captive the heart of a suscepti
BILE Frenchman. And so it proved
for the evening was not half spent
before Lieutenant Soulon, first Officer
of the ship, was making most desper
ate love to the aforesaid Mrs. R.,
who seemed to receive his advances
with no uncomfortable pleasure.
From that time Lieut.. Soulon was
the constant visitor of Mrs. Robbins,
and SO devoted was his attentions
that finally the jealousy of Mr.. Rob
bins was aroused, and upon taking
his wife to task upon the subject re.
ceived such an answer as to entirely
confirm him in his suspicious. Be
ing determined to discover if there
were any reasons for his alarm he
feigned urgent and pressing business
in New Orleans, and informed his
wife that he would probably be de-
tanned from home a week. On the
night of the day of his pretended de-
parture, he returned to his house,
and walking to the window OF his
wife's room, discovered Lieutenant
Soulon on his knees before Mrs.
Robbins, holding her hand and ges-
ticulating with all the vehemence of
an imprisoned lover. Restraining
his Indignation, he walked into the
room, and coolly ordered the abashed
Lieutenant to leave the house, in
forming him that he should hear
from him in the morning.
On the following morning Major
| Rush, the friend of Robbins, waited
on Lieut.. Soulon with a challenge.
It was accepted, and they were to
meet on the same evening, with
double-barreled guns at twenty PAGES.
Accordingly at this appointed time,
they were on the ground which had
been selected; Mr.. Robbins, with his
second, Major Rush, and Lieut.. Sou-
Ion, with his friend Mr.. Belize, to-
gether with four midshipmen, and
the surgeon of the ship. The ground
having been measured, and the par
ties placed, they were informed that
they were to fire between the words
one and three" and that if either
party fired before the word "one," or
| after the word ''three," that the Sec
ond of the opposite party was to
shoot down the man so firing, on the
spot,
Everything having been arranged,
| Major Rush (who won the word
asked if they were ready, and being
answered in the affirmative, gave the
word "Fire!" Nc sooner had he said
it, and before he could say "one," off
| went both barrels of Robbins gun,
and down dropped Lieut.. Soulon.
Robbins, as soon as the Lieutenant
fell. recollecting the terms of the
| combat, and the penalty attached to
! shooting before or after the word,
dropped his gun and broke. No
| sooner had he started, than aevery
man On the field, his own second in
GUIDED, took after him, and after
running some hundred yards. caught
him, and brought him back to the
ground.
On being brought back, he protest
ed most vehemently against being
shot, declaring that 1t was altogether
an accident that his gun had gone
off and that moreover be never had
agreed himself to the terms of the
fight. His protestations, however,
would not do; the indignant French
men swore they would have his blood
that Justice to their fallen comrade
demanded it at their hands-that he
had forfeited his life, and the penalty
must be paid. In accordance with
this resolution they placed Robbins
with his back to a pine tree, telling
him that they would "step' twenty
PAGES, wheel and fire! They stepped
twenty PAGES, and wheeled to fire,
but as they wheeled, Robbins turned
the pine and broke again, the French
men putting after him. This time
the race was more desperate-Rob-
bins was running for his life, and
terror lent swiftness. to his feet-but
it would not do they caught him a
second time, and returned with him.
BY this time Major Rush, becom-
ing indignant at the apparent cow
ardice of his friend, told the French
men that if his principal was not
bold enough to stand up to his agree
nlent, and be shot, that he would
take his place. To this Robbins OBJ
jected, and said that no man should
die for him; that if anybody had to
die he would die himself. He also
intimated to Major Rush that if he
cast any more insinuations in regard
to his courage he would knock
him down! Major Rush told
him he had acted like a foolish
coward, and sure enough Robbins
jumped at him, and was digging into
him tremendously, when Lieut.. Sou
Ion, having recovered from the
swOon into which the report of Rob
bins gun had thrown him, and who
had not been touched, arose to his
feet, and taking in the whole matter
at a single glance, took to his heels as
hard as he could put it down, feeling
particularly anxious about that time
to be on board La Belle Poule.
But fate did not favor him; for
Robbins was in the act of getting off
Major Rush, who had just halloed,
when he laid eyes on the %retreating
Lieutenant. Selling a gun which
was lying on the ground, he started
after him, a little of the fastest, fol-
lowed by Major Rush and all the
Frenchmen. When getting within
about seventy yards Of the Lieuteh-
ant, and concluding this was a good
time to "bring" him, drew a "bead,"
and sure enough drought him!"
On getting up to him, they found
that in the last fire Robbins had
lodged ten "whistlers' in the French
mans legs, who, having received
some lusty kicks from Robbins by
way of interest, was borne in haste
on board La Belle Poule.
Thus. ended the Fast Duel"
which has caused many a hearty
laugh in the goo6ly city of Pensacola.