The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-11-06
THE COLONEL HAD THE DROP.
And There Was Nothing for the Stranger
to DO but Apologize.

THE COLONEL HAD THE DROP.
And There Was Nothing for the Stranger
to DO but Apologize.
81 met a real Kentucky colonel the
other day from Louisville" said young
Washington man to Star writer. "He
was in all respects a most admirab BILE
representative of that peculiar type
which only such social conditions as eX-
listed before the war could have pro-
duced, and which is SO rapidly passing
away never to return. To me the old
gentleman was quite . study. His
dress was faultless, though old-fash-
toned and after a mode of elegance
which was of years gone by, and his
manners were of the true courtly style.
OF such as he few indeed now are left,
| fancy, so mild of manner and yet
subdued suggestion about him of the
true f;re-eater.
The colonel invited me to take a
drink. 1t was at bar-room near the
capitol. AS we'll as | could perceive dur
ing the short time of my acquaintance
with him he invariably extended a like
courtesy to every one he met Doubt
less ne Hdu lOllOWcu IllC pLdCJICC lOIlSS
inasmuch as the end of his nose was of
a redness such as no mere casual pota-
tions could have incurred. He took
Bourbon WHISKY, of course, and it is
unnecessary to say that he took it
straight There wasn't tremor in his
long and well-made though wrinkled
hand as he held the liquor up between
his eye and the light. With an elabor-
ate compliment and an accompanying
gesture, he drank it off and plunged
anew into story he had been telling
about the war
"'We We're in the trench just under
the redoubt. he was saying, and only
six men in my company ware lett alive.
Close by where | stood Il group of
dozen brave fellows had been blown to
fragments by shell, SO that the ground
was literally bestrcwn with bits of
flesh, and so slippery with blood that
'FTumph.'
1.-THE exclamation came from a Sall
and loosely built man with dark mus
tache. who stood at the other end of the
bar. The colonel turned on his heel
slightly, stared at the person through
his gold-rimmcd eyeglasses, dropped
them from his nose again, and went on.
Gas l was saying, the ground was
literally piled with dead, by CAD, sir!
But just at that moment the tide of bat
tie turned. The Yankees fell back,
and
""That's blamed lie"
again it was the tall man with
dark mustache who spoke, drawing out
the words which to kentucky colonel
have an import of insult the deadliest
conceivable. The demeanor of the lat
ter was one of perfect calmness, but
the repressed passion which ragged be-
meath his ruffied shirt bosom was be-
trayed by his nose, which suddenly
turned perfectly white. Once more adj
justing his eyeglasses and gazing
through them for a moment steadfastly
at the interrupter. he said:
"'Sir, this is conversation of gen.
tlemen, in which you could necessarily
have no part. l may go SO far as to
say that in any conversation of gentle
men you would be out of place. Paus-
ing for a moment to cough slightly, he
withdraw that remark which you have
just made, or you will not leave this
room alive
I'm concluding his remarks the
colonel placed his hand on his revolver,
half drawing it from his hip pocket
and in that attitude, while still gazing
intently at the tall man with the dark
mustache, awaited reply. 1t came
very promptly. The tall man apollo
gized profusely and wanted to shake
hands.
"'No, sir! said the colonel, drawing
himself up with his hands behind him
You are a blackguard, sir and Ken
lucky gentleman does not shake hands
with a person of your kind. The best
thing you can do is to get out of here at
| once
"When the tall man had skunk out of
the room the whisky bottle was again
set forth upon the bar. The old gem
| tleman lifted his tumbler to his lips
and noticed that there was not the
slightest tremor in the fingers that
held it.
so don't see how you could do 4 thing
L
said. 1T seemed to me that life and
death might be the question of mo-
! rlent and your nerve astonishcd me-
"'My dear boy he replied, 1.-The mat
ter was less extraordinary and perhaps
less dangerous than it appeared to you
The minute that the insulting words
were said my entire line of action was
planned out in my mind in a flash To
begin with, you will remember that
l tainted the fellow, saying that he
was not a gentleman. even repeated
the taunt and paused a moment to give
him an opportunity to attack me. If
| he had not been a coward-if he had
been going to fight at all-he would
have attacked me then. What was my
object in that? Simply to give myself
a plea of justifiable homicide which
would hold good before a jury. When
l demanded his apology or his life l had
the drop on him and there was only
one thing that he could do. There was
not moment during the disagreeable-
ness when was in any danger. l have
been through great many troubles of
| q tragic notura and toll Won III t tha