The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-11-30

M u 1WH e'arO'
A worn and
time-stained copy of the Vicksburg
Daily Citizen of April 6, 1858, lies be-
fore me. After the occurrence of cer-
tain events with which future chapters
will deal, took the trouble to secure
this paper, and have ever since pre-
served it. In its columns is brief and
rather unsatisfactory reference to an af-
fair which had excited large interest in
that part of Mississippi. I was not a
witness of it, and the description after
ward given to me by one of the actors
in it was so much more in detail than
the newspaper account that l prefer
to adopt the former in setting this
landmark at the outset of the story.
If you follow the left bank of the
river down to point where the Vicks-
burg bluffs sink to the ordinary level
of the river banks, you will come out
upon beautiful grassy glade over
looking the water Some small elms
and cottonwoods made a pleasant
shade bordering the road; wide strip
of land, possibly thirty rods across,
lay between the highway and the river
bank.
So early upon the morning of the
Sd of that April that the sun had
not yet shown his rim above the trees,
three horsemen came at brisk trot
down the road, stopped at this grove,
dismounted and tied their horses.
1.-The other people are not here yet,"
one of the men observed There's
time enough. All. there they are"
Three more horsemen approached
from the opposite direction. They also
halted here, and fastened their horses.
All of the six We're dressed in white
duck suits, for the weather of that
spring had come on hot. Two of them
carried each one case of mahogany
wood, and these two, after saluting
each other, came together in earnest
conversation. Two of the others also
approached and shook hands, and the
prefix doctor" was exchanged between
them.
"A disagreeable business" one OBJ
served.
Indeed it is. hope we shall
neither of us be needed"
Il hope so-but fear it will be other
wise. They say both are good shots.
You brought your Instruments"
Yes: carry them in large pocket
in my saddle-hap."
''All right; my darly is on the way
with mine. Now what are Dorion and
Basnet about?"
These two, each with his mahogany
case under his arm, had drawn off out
of hearing. But as my account of the
whole affair came from one of them,
their conversation may be stated here.
Has this thing really got to go on?"
81 suppose so-unless your man will
withdraw his challenge"
''He can't do that To do it would
be to confess that he never had any
grounds for it."
''And, do you know, Mr.. Castex says
that he never did have any ground for
the challenge. But Bostock put the
affront on him in such a public man
ner, and in his own house, too, that he
swears he'll fight, unless the challenge
is absolutely withdrawn, without ex-
planation."
''Well, it's an absurd thing! Duels
have been concerned in, have fought
three or four myself, but never before
was | engaged in one where nobody
but the principals knew what the prov
ocation was; and one of them insists
that there was none. 1t seems like
boys play"
Look at your man; he acts as though
he were too angry this minute to con-
tain himself"
The principals to this meeting had
bowed in the most distant manner
upon reaching the ground. Then Mr..
Castex sat down, propped his back
against tree, lit cigar, and smoked
IL as lazily as though his spirits were
perfectly unruffied by the prospect of
the coming encounter. Mr.. Bostock,
on the contrary, walked nervously
about, switching at the grass with his
cane, and occasionally turning upon
his nonchalant antagonist a glance
that was decidedly savage.
The seconds resumed their consulta-
tion.
''Is it worth while to try to get an
explanation?"
Not in the temper your man is in,
j should say; not without shot. We
will stand them up once. and the first
exchange may lead to an arrange
ment."
IF it don't put one or both of them
beyond the reach of arrangements"
muttered the other. swell, come on"
Messrs. Basnet and Dorion crossed
the road;. the others followed them.
The first rays of the sun glanced
through the trees; the delicious hsr-
mopy of birds shook the air; the throb-
bin9 Of the engines and splash Of the