Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-08-28
The gentleman is an invalid" I re-

p4lei.
but he is also Yankee" continued the
Cuban. Our Government should not per-
NIT them to even land on this island"
Whitley's face grew paler, and he bit his
lips to keep back the hot words which
wanted to come, but he made no reply.
The larger of the two men, who appeared
to be native fire eater, waited for mo-
ment. and then rose UP and said to the
Michigander:
"All Yankees are towards l Insult YOU
Demand satisfaction if you darev'
Il do demand i" answered Whitley, in
a low voice. You evidently want duel
You shall have il y
Good Kissed the other Ny friend
here will arrange the details with your
friend You have more courage than l
thought for
He walked away with nod TO me, aud
was followed by his friend, who promised
to return in half an hour.
You can't mean to fight him ?'' l in
quired of Whitley when we were alone.
But do. He insulted ME as an Ameri-
can, hoping to provoke a duel, and as an
American will fight him."
" But your health?'
Never mind my health All l want is
to keep the affair froia my wife until it is
over with. Arrange to fight him to-mor-
row morning"
with what weapons ?"
:" never had a sword in my hand, and |
have no experience with pistols Choose
pistols, however | know enough to sight
and fire one, and must take my chances"
There was no doubt that the man was an
experienced duelist, but the more I argued
with Whitley the more determined he was
to fight. Under all the circumstances it
would have been no disgrace for him to re-
fuse, but from the very first his mind was
made up. Such affairs are easily and qui-
ely arranged in Cuba. When the second
returned, we settled on pistols for weapons,
and he was kind enough to say that he
would arrange for surgeon to be present.
We were TO be al Il certain spot about four
miles distant al certain hour in the morn
ing The fellow was pink of politeness,
and | carried the idea that | had been
mixed up in several affairs of the sort, and
that my principal was not green hand on
the field of honor.
l did not see Whitley again until we took
q carriage in the morning to drive TO the
grounds. He was calm and self-pOssessed,
and on the way out arranged with me about
sending his wife home in case OF his death
and provided for other emergencies. The
little woman had not received the slightest
hint of what was on the tapis. We found
the other parties waiting for us, and the
details were speedily arranged. The men
were placed fifteen PAGES apart, and it was
understood that they were to fire until one
or the other was killed or wounded. In
case either was wounded and wanted TO
continue the fight the duel should go on.
The two pistols were loaded and handed to
the principals, and the awkward manner in
which Whitley held his made the Cubans
smile I told bin how TO stand so as 10
present the smallest possible target to his
opponent, but as they took their places |
was mortified to see him present his full
front Ii seemed as if any one who could
sight pistol must bore him through at
the first fire. He was triHe paler than
usual, but he stood firm on his feet and
was i'll good nerve.
The word was finally given-one, two.
three, fire-and both pistols were discharged
at once | was looking at Whitley. | saw
air, and as | turned my gaze toward the
Cuban l saw the latter sink down in heap,
rs if he had been struck on the top of his
head. We ran to him, to find bullet hole
in the center of his forehead, and he was
stone dead. His bullet had Clipped Whit
ley's right shoulder, but without drawing
blood. | never saw two men so dumb
founded as the surgeon and the Cuban $
second. 1t was minute before they could
realize the disaster. Everything had been
fair and according to the code, and nothing
remained for us except to return to the
city. Whitley was very calm and self-pos-
sessed-neither astonshed nor exultant.