The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1889-08-30

well, I'll swear" said my secon,
$ with evident admiration. You've 9,
5 the finest grit l ever saw"
An interval Of silence succeedet
: which was interrupted by me: II ha,
made my will and left it in my trun
with som other papers. II | shoul
, die, you must tell my parents that
was game to the last. There are Sc,
l eral letters from my sweetheart-the
/ are-tied with-a little red ribbon
} Her name is on the back of one G
them-send them-tO her-and tell he
i died with her name-upon IN,
lips"
My companion was Profound
touched, and promised to do as
wished; but tried to console me wit
the hope that the affair would turn GU
all right.
We rode the rest OF the way in siienc,
over the winding road, and into tn
sombcr forest to the glade where tn,
duel was to be fought. 1t was Il gruo
some, dreadful kind of a place. fal
away from the sound of human voices
The silence was depressing in the ex,
treme.
We hitched our horses to small tree.
and began to survey the ground, my
adversary and his second not having
arrived. We INDUCED in fragrnentary
conversation for a few minutes, when
o. noise informed us of the probable ap,
proach of Douglass. As the two men
came up my second scanned them close.
ly, and said to me: He looks as coo,
and resOlutc rs you.'
Yes" said |, indiTerently, "hc is
evidently a brave fellow"
Neither of you fools is lacking in
courage"
| smiled grimly.
Douglass and his second dismounted,
and the usual prcliminaries of a duel
were gone through with. The seconds
examined the pistols and saw that they
were in proper shape. Then they SOL
EMMY measured off the correct dis
lance, while Douglass and | went
through what littlc preparation was
required OF us. There were Il few hur-
ried handshakcs, a last glance on my
part at the glorious day hat was I'M
folding its golden splendor above us,
and we took our places.
1t is hard to describe ones feelings
under such dreadful circumstances.
Long years after | recall that awfully
quiet meeting in the forest glade, with
the two seconds standing seriously and
anXiousIy at one side like the chron-
iclers OF doom.
Are you ready2:' we were asked.
Yes"
"One, two thrcc-frc!'
lwo shots broke sharply on the
morning air. Neither of us was hit.
My second approached his colleague
and asked il Douglass was satisfied.
and when the matter was referred tC
my brother journalist he replied. with
a violent oath, that he was not. 50 we
again took Il positions. Again we
heard the dreadful One, two, three
fire. Again we missed. Douglass
second now came to mine, and said that
his principal vas satisfied if | was. !
sent back word that the quarrel was
OF my seeking, but that as long as
| had gotten into it | was not avcrse tc
it through. We got into posi-.
ton for the third time, shot and missed.
The seconds held a nervous consulta.
ton, and came to Douglass and myself
and begged us to let the matter drop.
Both of you,' they said, "havc
proved your grit, and we don't want c
see either of you hurt
We, however. We're obdurate, and
accordingly faced each other for the
time, fired and missed. Again
the seconds made an appeal to us t,
but We stood firm, and took our
places for the fifth time, with the same
harmless result.
Cant we persuade you blamed
'Ools to stop?' said one of the seconds
O me.
mo, sir" I replied, with dignity;
i didn't come here for nothing
Douglass, it seems, took the same
Jew as did. The seconds consulted
gain and made an announcement tt
ZACH OF us: You have now had five
hots at each other; aud, on accoun
# the limited supply Of ammunition.
My one more shot is possible. If you
all to hit this time we will be com
'eled to terminate the duel and dccid, ,
hat Mr.. Douglass honor has been vim.
icated.n
To this Douglass aud | reluctantly {
greed. 1t a an awful moment-tC
he scconds-just before that last shot: !
nd there was a feeling Of great and
nmistakablo relief when it was fired
18th the same old result. The next
ay the duel was the talk Of the town
nd public opinion decided that we
ere 1.-The gdmest fellows and the
.orst shots in the State.
You don't understand it? Well, vOu
re, in the long interview ! had with
ouglass the night before the duel,
'und that he was frightened to death.