The Republican., 1891-11-06
A VERY QUEER DUEL.
Brought On by Remarkable Act. II
Ended Very Remarkably.


dian ex-planter, a man now long past
his three score years and ten, who left
Jamaica somewhere in the fifties, be-
tween the time past when the abolition
of slavery had paralyzed West Indian
industries, and the time to come when
the SANE question of negro slavery
should jeopardize the unity of the great
republic.
81 see," said he, that there is some
talk of raising Sir John Macdonalds s
widow to the peerage. If it should
prove true, she will be the first native
West Indian to come in for such an
honor, at least in great many years.
Indeed, | do not remember that the
thing has ever happened before, al
though Cowan, the composer, who re-
ceived baronetey some time since was,
like Lady Macdonald, native of ia
maica.
yes" ne continued, II remember
her father we'll. Monkey Bernard,
they used to call him, and probably no
white man except Charles Darwin him
self, the apostle of the Monkey Ancestor
Gospel, ever more closely resembled an
ape in the face.
There was young buck, however
who had narrow escape of paying
dearly for his laugh at Bernard S un-
fortunate physiognomy
John X.-that was not his name,
but it will do as well as any other-was
walking along Port Royal street, Kings
ton. one fine morning, when a crowd of
idle negroes attracted his attention.
The center of amusement proved to be
a good-siZed ape. which Spanish sailor
held by a rope fastened round its body.
''N. was at once struck by the like
ness-so he told me aftcrward-to Ber-
nard, and the result was that he then
and there handed over two gold doub-
looms to the sailor and became the pro-
prietor of this living caricature.
Bernard was a large planter and a
man of some wealth. and held a major 5
commission in the Jamaica militia The
fatcs so willed it that there was a grand
inspection of the militia appointed to
be held within u few weeks after this
geological investment of KS, and the
Father of Mischief prompted him to
avail himself of the occasion for an act
of the most outrageous devilment.
"He had the ape fitted with a com
pletc suit of regimentals, as worn by a
major in the Jamaica militia, bought Il
little tin sword, and spent hours in
training this brute to walk upright,
with the drawn sword held in its right
hand.
The secret was well kept until the
day of the review Crowds of negroes
surrounded the race course, Just out
side of Kingston, where the troops were
to march past. Presently Bernards
regiment marched on to the ground and
wheeled into line. At the same mo-
ment there was shout from some hun
dreds Of lusty negro throats. 'Loolloo
Monkey Bernard" and Ms ape, bril-
liant in scarlet and white, with its tin
sword well shouldered, strutted out
toward the ranks.
81 suppose that, with the exception
of Bernard himself, there was not man
on that ground who was not convulsed
with laughter. The military evolutions
had to wait until the ape had been re-
captured by Ms groom.
"But the duel had not quite gone out
of fashion in those days, or, at any rate,
not in Jamaica. Of course, apology
would have been ridiculous, so X. had
to accept Bernard's challenge. The
weapon. as was usual with US, was the
old-fashioned single barreled dueling
pistol The principals had the right of
'reserving their fire-that is, though
they might not fire until the word was
given, either of them might take time,
after the word was given, to aim more
deliberately.
TX. was an accomplished duelist, but
| suppose he saw the enormity of first
laboriously insulting an unoffending
man and then shooting him. Other.
wise | can't account for his missing
Bernard, as he did, for (if | remember
right the distance was only twenty
PAGES.
BERNARD reserved his fire. Then,
with his pistol still pointing to the
ground he said to X, who was quietly
waiting the event: Young man, |
am not going to take your life this
time, but this will teach you what l
could do if felt inclined.
"X. was standing close to tree, on
which a ripe lime-fruit hung within a
yard of his head. Bernard raised his
pistol, and with the bullet cut that
fruit clean from the branch it hung on.
IF any one ever deserved to bear the
motto handsome is that handsome
does it was Monkey Bernard and
think that from and after that day he
and all his family ought to have been
proud of his nickname"
What became of the ape" asked.
81 forget what fate befell that
famous ape" said my old friend but
the pistols they used-a pair-have
found their way, believe, like Ber-
nard's daughter, to Canada. Louis
vile Commercial.