The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1884-11-26
THE BELLE ISLE DUEL



aster, IL all happened 80 suddenly. Ny recoL
lection Il about this:
~You renigged, cried HartWelL
mo such thing answered West
Say you did"
Then you're a liar"
There was blank pause az this and both
Simpkins and myself stood up, for knowing
HsrtvFeu and West as We did both Of US ex
pected a fight right there. Hartwell lad
fiuns-down his cards and glared at West witt
his face as pale as paper. West ON the Other
hand was flushed, his teeth were set and his
fist cienched
Gentlemen, gentlemen, said, remember
where you are. We can't have row, you
know"
Certainly not, y. echoed Simpkins
Hartwen got up without a word and walked
Of West seemed 20 be himself again til
went 20 look over the cards 10 see IL my part
ner's charge had been true when with an i'm
patent gesture be swept the whole pack e
the l3or.
NO man living can say cheat at cards
he crisd Indignantly.
sWeu. you have certainly put il out OF any
body's power 10 prove IL, i answered, indig-
nant at his high-haLded way Of carrying
things
do you say itl1 he shouted.
@Oh, see here, West, you can't get up
row with me. Better settle the one you
have with Hartwem He's ian old army man,
and i never knew any one 70 have the eour-
age 70 call him a liar before"
well, / call him that call any ono else
that who says cheat at cards II Hartwen
has anything 60 say % me, he can send his
man % my friend Simpkins, who viii act Tor
me; Ell, Simpkinsf
Il think Won are both acting like a couple
OF schoolboys,H answered Simpkins in a non
committal way.
Irose and left them together. As Passet
by HartWell's room he called 10 me, and
went in
Eve been waiting for you he said
@Have you any objection 20 acting Tor me
i'm this natter
what action do you wish me % takef'
Gan depend on you as my friendf
Certainly
IAN right Then / want you to take
challenge from mo % that man ! ought %
have knocked him down. but / hate public
brawLn
aNow, look here, HArtwen You're both in
the wrong in this affair looked over the
cards and
The cards have nothing 10 do with me
Everything dates from the moment he called
me a liar He shall apologize or fight
oh, thundsrl Fight! Think Of the alb
sur,iiry OF the whole thing III not ratter
either Of you by thinking there is any dan
ger about the affair, but Just imagine the
papers getting hold -of IT, Think what
couple Of fools they win make Of you. a
duel in Detroit The idea Is too absurd for
thinking about
Absurd or not. the fact remains that that
man called me a liar. VIII you carry my
message!7
-Oh, Of eourse. I'd Ike to have the writing
Of IL up"
left Hartxen and raped at simPkiHs
door.
simpkins was partially undressed and he
opened the door with some degree Of caution
oh, it's YOU
yes say, Simpkins, Hartwen IS mad
right through and. there's blood in his eye.
Can't you get West 70 apologize:7
Il don't believe it."
We'll wish you would kind Of lead him
up 20 that point We don't want 20 be mixed
up with any such nonsense, you know
-Uf course not III see You tomorrow.
What IL he won't thought
-Ehy, hang il, we challenge him-our side
does. / suppose / ought to write out
formal warrant, but ! haven't blank I'm
retained by HartwelL'
Next morning Simp<ins called ON me with
quite an air Of importance.
Our client he said, grandly, mot only
refuses 20 apologize, but he reiterates his
original statement and adds several strong
adjectives. Here you viii find written out
the plan OF the campaign
@Simpkins, you are taking a mean advan-
tage OF me I'm this matter. You are running
in documents in this case because you knew
had neglested 10 give you formal written
challenge Well. / accept the writ on behalf
Of my principal
you are right They are principals, not
men. wish 1 were out OF the scraps
sought Hartwell, and We both went over
the sxtraordinary document together. As
the challenged party, West wrote-or SimP-
kins wrote IL for him-I have certain rights
Of choosing weapons. etc i choose WIN
chester repeating rifles. The seconds shall
place their principals one on each side OF
Belle Isle at any point they may agree upon
The time viii be O'Clock IN the morning.
As that hour strikes the principals shall ad-
vance into tina woods until they meet and fire
on each other without notice and on sight
The seconds shall toss up for choice Of sides
Of the island
@why, that Is an idiotic sort Of fight said
HartwelL
Certainly il Is Just the sort Of fight
far weStaE1ler, like West would want % be
IN You know you termed him the Wild
West, yourself, and he deserved the title.
You are quite justified in refusing to have
anything 90 do with such an unsportsnanliks
or. rather, ungentlemanly proposition
While 1 would have preferred the rapieI
or the pistol, yet shall certainly accept the
propositions viii surprise him with my
rife craftsmanship, fancy
Just as thought Then you'll both TAKE
60 the woods"
You M see 10 all the ureliminaries with
Ssmpkins. viii youl And IL YOU win the toss,
take the Canada side Of the Island for me
That viii put the morning hight at my back
wonder where a person can get the loan %
aWinches,sr.'
Next day Simpkirs and went up on the
steamer % the Island, and we walked up tbs
center almost % the upper end
-Sss hsre. SimPkins, have you thought
that there Is one chance in ten thousand
that this quarrel might have n tragic end
Now, what do you propose 20 do in such
caseF
Hang me IL know said Simpkins.
On the contrary, Simpkins, they'll hans
you IL you don't know
Not in Michigan, old man What do you
propose 20 do
@woIl. III ten you. Ia drop a note Il
each q tho newspapers saying.that at 5 IA
such n day there is to DC n duel ON Belle ISL
between two men from the fashionable board
inz house, such a street Send a note. also
20 the chief OF police-a sort Of Gods-sak'
despairing note from the mother Of one q
the heroas who is unable % prevent III.
slaughter. That would insure the presence O
many enterprising reporters and half n dozeI
policemen. Just think OF the columns in tbs
papers TwOuld make both Of EN- >
AahAmed that they wouldn't say the wood duSI
for the next century
You'll have % propose something less
treacher5us than that couldn't consent to
any suck betrayal Of friendship and the con-
hdence rePosed in me
-SimpkinS you are snivehng hypocrite'
-Sirir |..
oh, 1 nlean H; yOu know you are"
Il haven't come 10 handy words VIII
you toss up for poSiti0nF ft
In n moment How, does this proposition
strike your You drive your stake az the
upper end Of the island tn drive mine a