The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-01-05
A PISTOL SHOT.
Remarkable Story Of the Last
Shot in q Duel.

FulAS0 Ol ".
Ineed hardly describe the regular routine
Of our military life. Almost every body
knows the life of an army of1cer3 in the
morning military drilling, dinner at the
regiment commanders or in aJewish lunch
ing-hcuse; in the evening punch and cards,
There was not single house where guests
would be fairly received; not single bride
In N. We had our gatherings at each
sther's, where we saw nothing but our uni
forms. Only one of us did not belong to the
army. He was about thirty-fve years of
age, and we considered him. therefore, an
old man. Experience gave him many ad-
yautages over US. His gloominess, Obstinacy
and malignant tongue exercised an additional
influence over our youthful minds. His fate
had something mysterious about it; he had
a Russian appearance and bore a foreign
name. At some former time he served in a
regiment of hussars, and was successful in
service; yet nobody knew the reasons which
had impelied him to give in his resignation
and to settle in the poor village of N, where
he lived at the same time poorly and prodi-
gally, walked about always by foot in
WORKOUT old frock, and had his table always
free TO all The officers of our regiment. True,
his dinner consisted Of one or two dishes
prepared by our exsoldier, yet champagne
was poured out in quite Liberal measure for
the guests. Nobody knew his estates or in
come, and nobody would venture to ask him
about it. His library consisted of military
books or novels. He was very liberal to offer
them for reading, never requesting to return
them. And he himself never returned to
the owners the books which he borrowed.
His principal occupation was shooting from
pistol The walls of his room were bored
guith fNiCtOi. ehnfa nouarnd with hOlac lilo
bce-hives. A rich collection of pistols was
the only luxury of the poor hut in which he
lived. His art of shooting had attained the
limits of incredibIlity; and il he would
offer to shoot off pear from the cap of any
one of our officers, none amongst them
would hesitate to undergo the risk. Our
conversation often turned on duels. Silvio
$50 l shall call hlm) never took any part in
them. To the question if he ever had occa-
sion to fight, he answered dryly, that he did,
bus never went into the details, and it was
apparent that such questions were uupleas-
ant to him. We supposed that some I'M
fortunate victim of his terrible art was
weighing down his conscience. Yet it
neYer occurred TO us to suspect in him
something like cowardice. There are men
whose mere appearance dispels such sus-
picions. A sudden event surprised us all.
Ten of our officers dined once at Slvio's
We drank as usually, 1. C., very much. After
dinner we began to persuade him to play a
game. He first refused for a time, for he
almost never played. At last he ordered
cards, threw about fifty gold pieces on the
table and went to play. We took seats
around him and the game was started.
Siivio had custom Of keeping perfectly
silent during the game, never entered into
HfeYiYfaa mr. nyplauafiODa ha
TO miscalcuate he either paid the rest or
marked down the overpaid. We knew it
already, and did not prevent him from hav-
ing his own way; but there was among us
an officer recently transferred to our regi-
mont,
Partaking in this game, he happened to
miscalculate Silvio took the chalk and
Strengthened the account according to his
habit. The officer, thinking that he had
done this by mistake, went into eXplana-
tons. Silvio kept on silently correcting
Having lost his patience, the officer took the
brush and erased that which seemed to him
a superhuous mark. Siivio took the chalk
and marked it again. Heated with wine
the game and the laughter of his comrades
the officer considered it a grave insult and
seized in fury the brass chandler from the
table and flung it into Silvios face, who had
hardly time to turn away from the blow
We came into confusion. Silvio rose pale
with anger, and said, with glittering eyes,
'"Gracious sir, be kind enough to leave and
thank the Lord that it happened in my
house." We had no doubt as to the conse-
quences, and considered our new comrade
already dead. The officer went out saying
that he was ready to respond to the insult as
1t would please the opponent. The game
I'D fN. II
feeling that the host was no longer in play
ing mood, we left one after the other, and
went to our quarters, speaking on the way
OF the new vacancy. On the following day
we were inquiring at the headquarters if
the poor officer was yet alive, as he appeared
himself. The question was offered to him.
He answered that he had no news from
Siivio as yet 1t surprised us very much
We went to Sllvio, and found him In the
yard shooting one after another in an ace
pasted to the door-gate He received us as
usual, not dropping word of yesterdays
occurrence. Three days passed; the officer
was yet alive. We inquired with astonish-
ment: SIS it possible that Silvio will not
fghtr'
Silvio did not fight. He was satisfied with
a light explanation, and concluded peace.
This occurrence had considerably lowered
him in the estimation OF our youth. Lack
of courage is least of all pardoned by young
mon, who SEQ in courage the pinnacle Of
huDlaA dignity and a virtue outweighing all
possible vices. Little by little however,
every thing went into oblivion, and Silvio
regained his former influence. Only could
no longer remain on intimate footing with
him. Endowed naturally with a romantic
Imagination, Twas first more strongly drawn
towards this man, whose life was riddle
and who appeared to me as being the hero
of some mysterious novel He loved me; at
least was the only one with whom he used
to leave of his biting malignant way OF
speaking, and spoke Of various things with
simplicity and unusual pleasantness. But
after the unfortunate evening, the thought
that his honor was marred and that the
stain on his honor was left unremoved by
his own accord-this thought haunted me
always and was an intervening obstacle to
our former intimacy. felt some scruples