The Osceola times., 1885-07-04
'lichael Mcgowan, the half-demepted


ings were not infrequent in his masters
apartments. which were in a laroe
old mansion outside of the barrack
grounds.
Michael got up an excellent sumner
and laid IN generous supply OF lemons
! and whisky and sugar for the '.brew-
ing of the pnnch,p which, he knew.
woul be drank like water" What
| did arrest his attention was the careful
inspection the Major gave his armory
OF dueling-pistols, cleaning and loading
them with care, as if he were about TO
use them The servant came to the
! conclusion that there was a dispute TO
be settled the next morning by either
his master or one of his guests
The Major received his two friends
win ms customary cordiality. and
when the supper had been disposed of,
and the edibles We're of the choicest,
the most serious business of the night
was entered upon-namely. the drink
ing OF the punch, OF which. however,
the host was careful not to take more
than enough ''to steady his nerves"
| When the fumes of the potent liauor
| began to rise to and stimulate the brains
OF the officers, the love which each pro-
fe 'Sed to entertain for the beautiful
Miss O'Neil, whose personal fortune
was not less charming in their ewes than
herself, came wildly to their minds.
AMI each began to boast of the favor he
had found IN her eyes. Angry words
We're soon exchanged. and the host, the
soberest of the three at the table, and
| that WAS not saying much for his cold
ness or steadlness. did all that lay in his
power to promote the quarrel To hot
words in their liquor Michael Mcgowan
wos accustomed, bus was not to what
followed them. The Lieutenant, in the
wi dness of his rage seized decanter
and threw it at the Captain with such
| force that, had it struck him. il would
have killed him outright 1t glanced
past his head and cracked against the
wall pieces of the glass burying them
selves in the plaster The Captain inn
agined that it was the Major who had
hurled the vessel at him, and, springing
to his feet, and being a large and phys
ically powerful man, with a terrific blow
he fclled his superior in grade to the
| floor.
The quarrel had now passed all rea.
| sonabe bounds. In their hot anger the
| original cause of the turmoil was for
| gotten. Each demanded the hearts
| blood OF his fellows, and as there were
thleA of them, and no one of them
would wait tor the night to pass and
meet in the field in the cool of the NOR
rows morning, it was determined with
ont seconds, and with no other witness
than Michael Mcgowan, to settle it then
and there. Who suggested that the
| duel should be triangular the servant. in
relating the story long afterward, not as
a confession in religion to the priest,
Int rs matter Of confidence, could not
say. Ile apartment was unusually
large and lotty-spacious enough for
an assembly room and uncarpeted.
The man Mcgowan was ordered to
procure piece of chalk and I'm Ter the
direction of the Major himself he
formed an acute triangle. the sides of
which were twenty-odd feet The Ma
ior, now armed with his dueling pistol,
took up position at one of the con
vergements, and the Captain and Lieu
tenant beng similarly armed, by the
courtesy of their host, with pistols, as
hone ,tly loaded and as reliable as his
own, placed themselves on the other
| angles Mcgowan, nov thoroughly
fright ned and trembling in every limb.
was instructed to hold a white han lker-
chief or napkin on a level with his head.
| it being understood that the antagonists
were TO fire between it, falling and strik
ing the floor. But TO make everything
satisfactory it was further agreed be-
fore the signal cloth should drop that
the Major should cry lone, the Cap
tain two and the Lieutenant three"
and upon the utterance of the last word
Mcgowan was to obey instructions.
Every thing had worked much better
than the Major had hoped would be the
case. As we have said he had no idea
Of receiving hurt, while he believed he
could readily put his antagonists in love
out OF the field in his race for beauty
and booty"-the capture of the heiress
| ONeil.
Fortune. however, did not smile on
| him more than on his enemies, The
words were uttered, and Mcgowan, the
most frightened man present, with a
nervous twitch dropped the signal
cloth. Before it touched the floor the
pistol shots rang out their messages of
death.
! Mcgowan, before the sound of the
combined report had died out or the
| smoke had ceased to ascend, rushed out
| of the house, and, seeing at a little dis
| tance, coach standing near the post
office receiving the mails for Belfast
and more distant places, ran to it and
climbed to seat on its roof. He was o
thoroughly-frightened man. He knew
not how the strange fight had resulted
His only desire was TO get as FAR from
it as possible, even if he should at a
later day be arrested a. a deserter, for
he was a member of The regiment. but
| invalided in consequence Of wound
received in an engagement, and which
at times affected his mind.
Two days after the duel, the Major.
Captain and Lieutenant not reporting
for duty. their fellow-olficers of the bat
talon inst tuted search for them.
| Some of these naturally called at the
residence of Major Mallory. To re-
pea ed signals at the door for admit
| lance, no answer was returned. Losing
patience, one of the callers ventured to
enter the house and penetrate to the
room in which. when on convivial
bouts, they were wont to be received by
the superior in command. There he
found. to his horror, the three duelists
living in death on the floor, holding
/ empty pistols in their hands.
The affair was hushed up as far as il
was possible to do SO. IL was soon ior,
] 4..s,Lr1.ll,- l. nI