The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-12-09
A DUEL AVERTED.

In the summer of 1874. when Martin
). Scott was a much simmer, more
landifed- looking man than he is now,
there were seated at one of the little
round marble tables before the Cafe
Ricci, in the Boulevard des Italiens, in
Paris. two young Frenchmen, the cheek
If one of whom bore red mark, as il
some one had brought his hand sharply
against it. In an inner room of the
cafe the person who had done this was
engaged in wiping from his shirt front
the stains of some red wine, which in
MS fury the recipient of the slap had
hurled across the table. The man with
She red cheek was the young Adolphe
Ferrier, the son of the celebrated art
ist of that name. The man with the
,oiled shirt front was Martin G. Scott,
of Mobile, Ala.
There had been an exchange Of cards,
and Scott and his friend George E.
Wainwright twelve hours later suddenly
'ound themselves with a large sized,
healthy French quarrel on their hands,
to be settled, as most of those matters
are in France, under the code.
When it came to choice of weapons,
Scott had wisely chosen pistols, for
while he was q notoriously bad shot,
he was totally ignorant of the use of the
rapier.
The affair was to come off at Auver.
gne, little village distant about nine
miles from Paris, in forty eight hours
ime. The parties were to go out on
.he early train.
doubt if Scott was SO much cut
sbout the affair as Wainwright, even
though he fully. expected to be killed.
The more Wainwright thought over
the affair the more he realized what an
awkward job he had upon his hands.
He lay awake all night at his hotel,
revolving some plan by which they
could get out of the scrape. He had
frequently seen Ferrier practising at a
fashionable pistol gallery in the Rue de
Capucines. He knew that he spent the
best part of every evening there in
ringing the bell on the target-to &C.
complish which feat, as every one
knows, it is necessary to hit the bulls
aye. Wainwright arose early with q
| plan fully thought out.
Come" he said to Scott, 1--WE haven't
too much time before us. We must go
down to Maupassant's gallery and get
some practice. You stay here and have
some breakfast. don't care to eat SC
carly. I'll run down there and see il
we can't get the gallery all to ourselves
for a couple of hours.
That will be pretty costly, won't til?
hazarded Scott.
! Not more than q decent coffin and
all the other fixings," replied Vain.
wright, with some little sarcasm. III
possible l want to throw those expenses
On the other fellow"
Wainwright jumped into cab and
dashed off to the Gallery Maupassant,
where for upwards of half an hour he
remained closeted with the proprietor.
LIT is agreed. then, said Wainwright
at the conclusion of the interview.
Now, then, M. Maupassant, there are
$50 francs down the remainder of the
500 you get if the duel doesn't come
of. -
Agreed" said the Frenchman, an6
he sat down and wrote at least twenty
letters like the following:
IN. Maupassant requests the pleasure
Of your company tomorrow afternoon
at three o'clock to witness the phenome
lal shooting of an American gentleman
who has kindly consented to give al
exhibition of his skill at that hour"
While NJ. Maupassant was thus en-
gagged Wainwright put in half an houl
naking sundry purchases, returning
with them to the gallery, where thu
lext half hour was proftably employed
oy him in company with an ingeniou.
mechanic.
Meantime, as the idea grew upon th,
mind of NJ. Maupassant he chucklei
and wrote. extending his invitation
until, if one-half of them were accepted
the question was: Would there b.
standing room in the gallery?
I'VE must certainly go down and Sc,
this American shoot, said NJ. Ferrier'
second. You may find some of hi
tricks useful to you at Auvergne to
morrow"
M. Ferrier, whose courage was not o
The 5-o'clock- -in-the- morning kind, shiv
red slightly, though the weather wa
decidedly warm.
Il wish the fellow had chose!
apiers," he muttered. These Amer;
ans are such devils with the pistol"
1t was B o'clock in the afternoon.
NJ. Maupassant's gallery was crowded
Il. Ferrier had an excellent seat. II
sat talking with his friend and second
lie had been drinking somewhat to keel
ais courage up, and his voice could b
card all over the room. With
renchman's love of gossip his SECOND
lad talked freely of the meeting of til
morrow.
As the American had not yet come,
oxen voices called on Ferrier to ste
own and get some practice, and anus
The company at the same time.
Ferrier, who was really good shot
was not little proud of it, and will
such an audience he was not slow I
avail himself of the opportunity thu
afforded of displaying his skill.
Throwing off his coat he steppe,
= down onto the floor of the gallery
and, picking up a pistol, marked tw,
bulls eyes in rapid succession.
His third bullet went just above
, however, an inch, at least, to the right
Your pistol is little heavy on til