The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1899-03-14
RULES FOR DUELINc.
Some old-Time Directions for Conducting
an Affair Of Honor.

anu AIuy llluSJrdIeu, out % years
since dueling was sufficiently in vogue
to induce an anonymous writer to
publish book Containing much use
full information" ironically dedicated
to Daniel O'Connell, Esq, M. p, and
James Silk Buckingham, Esq, NJ. r.,
as entertaining the opinion first pro-
mulgated by the immortal Flagstaff,
of happy memory, that discretion is
the better part of valor."
The author advises Gall my coun-
trymen whogo abroad to use the pistol
instead Of the sword when they have
the choice of the weapon, as the bal
ance Of killed and wounded is now
much in favor of the French, who,
upon the termination of the late war,
amused themselves by occasionally
splitting some half dozen Of our
travelling young fashionables before
breakfast He recommends "Pur-
dey, in Oxford street, as the maker Of
the best dueling pistol locks" care in
the selection Of a stock which fits the
hand comfortably, and to eschew Saw
handles" Barrels should be ten
inches long, and half rifled, which,
considering that throughout his vol
ume he poses as a man of the strictest
honor, is puzzling, for he admits that
wholly rifed pistol is considered an
unfair weapon, therefore one not APP
pearing to be rif1ed should be substi-
tuted.
On "the chances" he writes: 'Many
a poor, long-armed, struggling fellow
has received the coup di (sic) occur,
Cor fatal stroke) who might still have
been in existence had he known how
to protect his person in the field" the
necessary protection consisting in
standing sideways and drawing in
the stomach. "Should the party be
hit" presumably because he could
not draw in his stomach, che must
not feel alarmed" This seems diff
cult, as a man with a bullet in his
stomach can hardly be expected not
to display some little natural anxiety,
for, as is admitted later, "a shotin the
digestive organs must be particularly
annoying to bon vivant." To al
derfen his advice is ''the old method
of fghting-the back to the ad-
versary, and discharging over the
shoulder" "The chances of mans
being killed are about fourteen to
one; and of his being hit, about six to
one" He arrives at this conclusion
by dividing mans body, when OPP
posed to his adversary, into nine parts.
Therefore he says: GAS in only three
of these wound would prove mortal,
the chances are three to one against
his being killed, and five to one against
his being hit; that is, however" he
hastens to add, provided his antago-
mist has never read my work; if he has,
the case may be differentT"
The combatant is told mot to allow
the idea of becoming target to make
him uneasy, but to treat the matter
loosely" He is to laugh away the
evening over bottle of port, and play
a rubber of whist, but he must avoid
drinking to excess or taking "any food
that tends to create bile" because
"bilious objects are not seen either
distinctly or correctly" This would
rather be a valid reason for getting as
bilious as possible; man with an at
tack Of jaundice should be invisible,
and able to blaze at his antagonist in
perfect safety. If he cannot sleep on
retiring to rest he is to read Byron's
"Childe Harold" his servant is to call
him at five, and give him a strong cup
of coffee; then he is to smoke cigar,
and son his way to the scene Of action"
he is take brandy and soda, as most
grateful stimulant and corrective"
No wonder our author recommends
him at this point to draw in his
stomach. 'If he dies, he is to go off
with as good grace as possible" On
the other hand, if he hits his antag-
Onist, he is to take off his hat to him
and express regret.
A challenge is not to be in rhyme,
such as "a certain poetical, brandy
loving major general of marines"
wrote to brother officer who ran off
with his wife:
on the flesh a surgeons skill may
heal,
But wounded honor's only cured with
steel.
. An Irishman is not to be chosen as
second, for nine out of ten have such |
IN innate love for fighting they can
lot bring an affair to an amicable adj
iustment; and the first duty of a sec
md is to prevent the affair coming to
4 serious issue. Other advice is for
The second to take care his principal |
S not Inconvenience by the sun, and
% get his antagonist with something
lark behind him, when it will be
much more easy to hit him.
As may be inferred, the author
Ill, L., = 1.