The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-07-21
DUELLINa AND THE CODE
Peck's Sun.

l Now that the two Virginia editors b.s.
 mel in due., and one Is lying ir
 hospital with some cold lead rriSe5 =
 with his internal machinery, the us,..
 all over ,he country are Gscussine ,s.
 duello business, and giving s,~7.
 strong points tor and against the -coi.
 Many papers seem to think that duel
 will soon become as popular as i,was
 the days before the war and to ba-s
 about such an end. prin, the ea,--
 code as l, was used in the good o
 days of twenty or thirty years ago. VIZ
 man me. man n mortal combat. .-
 laooed pistols into each others faces a-s
 mixed blood with :he sands of the re
 oi ia.e years me practice of duelling
 been frowned upon. ard only ID vex
 few cases have men came together on .--
 ueld or honor. and then the matter W.
 generally brought to stand-still by O..
 asking ,he other .o take something
 hls expense. and the principals. seconcs
 doctors. and the entire procession |: anou.ance wagons. carriages eou.ain!as
 friends Of the belligeren.s. who wen, e.. n droyes 10 witness the affray and she.
 seais. the long line of wagons conta:ni.5 bales Of cotton. lin, bandages. sursl
 instruments. arnica. cases of brandy. e,e
 would go rolling homew ard, the drive. ard oct tupants drinking to the health ar longevity of the principals in the grea: affair of honor. and all hands would .e, full, and the local papers would con,a.n columns about the ' meet and the Dir
 cipals would be satished.
 But n this late duel there were fe. mistakes made in the arrangements. ar. through ciericA, error on the part oi some or the interested parties. the prir-.. pals were allowed to shoo, d. each o;he
 breach ot modern duelling etiquette that has met w.,h the seyeres, conde.,
 nation of all friends of the sport. since
 occurrence. ard ore of the principals .
 wounded. Thzs efroT !; would seer
 should make uaslhng unpopular. ana prev en, d possibility ei another ,.el a meeting 5eins he.d. b4t ore paper :hs. comes 10 hand siace the a.7fay paD.Ishs, ne o.a. ofS.n-- scdc. aAa proves b. . eenc4ss. te4E. iaat taege $ no neel. oi A-, shooting oe.ns ..o:.e :: ne p2r,.es wou ! only siick ;o the l4.es ei the :. code
 Ire ame-horc:ei code consis:, e; ases ;altsy-six rules anG reguia:,ons. saeteases ,t..a wherefores e;e. ard in eaca anu every rule of the same :hefe is mention made of apology, shown, that IT 10 matter Wha, par; of the af=r4v ;ne priae. pas ind themselves. there is !, chance e take water. ard shake ha.cs across the twenty-paces divide oe,xeen them. For instance. the ars, rule says
 The nrss offence re- G,yes the firs, apology though the Fe.ert may De more offensive than the iaselt Example 4 ,ells B he is impertinent. e.c. E retor,s that he aes: ye, 4 must make ;he firs; apology, because he gave the first offense. and
 after one nrei B may explain away the re'ert oy subsequent apology. So you see. even II 4 calls liar and though the s.a,e,nen. may be true. he can apslogize. and If. later on. he finds ,ha, he has neglected or forgotten !, IT the hea; of debate. or supposing ,ha: the guns or pistols as the case may be. are .oa1ed with sof; soap anyway. and he 1C>. as soon ..y ; -ho: or TWO. for the sun y. inc thing. ;hen 5 can remind h!ri CT H.s mistake by explaining away the re- .or; by subseIuen, apology" Tsis :; would seem. covers the whole ground, ana shows why no dueilng eun,es, of the pas, fifteen or sixteen years was no, a';erse oy the principals with .aelr pan,s rolled cp ready D wade a each others blood. Again. the code. rule nve. shows n what sort Of q sc-aae d couple e. fellows ind themselves. ~ao nsht wi,E sworo@ and yoaZe oat each other ;iTers and smpAle ssi iney. CT .n O. a, on..l iu..s. os. he pom. of sword. Ao1 san rarsacs ne duelling records .o, ne pest fifteen years. IT this co1a:rv. and yo- VI. md harIiy a case where the pr,n pas have me, and stuck swords lA,o he pa.pita,iag g,z,ards 0: each other according .o rule i've ot the l. code which Is as follows: N. 8.-f swords are u$ea. inc parses engage until ore IS wei. o.ooded. disabled or disarmed. or until asse. receiving woxnd and Blood beng drawn. the aggIessor asks pardon l. VA be seen by the foregoing rule that there Is TO chance for an apology ma sword contest, Cntil there has been some blood drawn. and unless the prncipls can deceive the seconds and faoI the doo.ors, by having few wagon loads of blood hauled out to the grounds by .he ao6a,toir wagon ready to be soreaa around on the green swaxd. for the oc- casion. the igh, muss go on unti, the sasord of one Slices or couple of inches os his opponents nose. or he himself. finds that. in the hurry and brs,le incl dent 10 the occasion. he has run his right ear against his adversaries sword. and Aa, useful member has 10 be stuck on xith mrcilage before the argurien, can proceed. or the usual apology follox. Rule six of the code says sha: -Chal. lenges fo- -ndivulged causes may be cor- oilaied on the ground after one sao,. An explanation or he s,igh.es, hi,. should De suiicsen, n such cause This proves tha, the ccellis;s should. in all cases, keep a,ie; abous the mas.er, and rot divulse inc secre, of why they seek each others warm hte current, So that. II they don :, feel 8 enthusiastic afser one shot has been fred in the air. and the smell cf burnt pow6er s.;Tuses the atmosphere. they can ask each other to drink xl,h Ccrneet r1-a-,-sA.y And fz<-lx- A..