Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-09

81 SET 10th WITH MY sCYTHE.''
difference between a charge OF cavalry
| and drove of nevis. When he had
| related how he led his division at Get
| tysburg, dashed forward at Spottsyl
vania and received three wounds al
Petersburg, I rose up-I rose up to my
| full height, suh-and, looking him
| straight between the eyes, l said:
General Blum, yo' will excuse me
sub. but where can find yo'r wah rec.
| ord?
Nowhere he replied. They were
so jealous of me that it has never been
written up
I'VE had n few other words, sub, and
felt that it was due to my dignity to
challenge him. He received the chal-
lenge coolly and sent his friend to ar
range matters. Ginning to be a sol
der and gentleman. he selected pick
axes as weapons. Think of it, sub
think of a gentleman taking such a
course! l refused, of co'se. Then he
turned to plantation hoes, to cotton
hooks, to bali clubs and to long ham
died shovels. 1t was my duty under
the circumstances to preserve my dig
nifty, and it has gone down in history
that l preserved it. l insisted that we
fight with sword or pistol and l re-
fused to dignity him by debating his
proposals. Then General Blum him
self called to see me. He found me
frigid and determined. Colonel Bun
kerr says he, 'yo' have doubted my ye-
racity, and l desire to shed yo'r blood.
l desire to shed it by the quart and the
gallon. If yO' are not n coward, yo'
will meet me ut sunrise across the riv-
er-acroSs the river, sub, As the chal-
lenged party L have the choice of weap-
ons. l will name scythes, suh-scythes
at two PAGES! The scythe is an en-
blem of time, Colonel Bunker, and it
was with a scythe 1 moved down
scores of the enemy at Appomattox.'
Il stood on my dignity. suh-stood
on my dignity and rejected the weap-
ons. No gentleman had ever fought
a duel with scythe in his hands. 1t
would degrade the code-degrade the
code, sub, and make me n public
laughing stock. l stormed at that
man, sub. 1 begged and entreated and
even sought to bride him to meet me
with pistols or swords. But he was
firm. He was settled on scythes and
"OOAu HOl DUuSc- DOWeu MN
out and appealed to the public. And
on my honah. sub. on the honah of the
man who led the desperate charge at
Cedar Mountain. the public agreed with
General Blum! Yes, sub, the public
contended that it was my duty as a
gentleman to engage in a duel with
scythes! l brought forward the code
for 300 years past, but it made no diff
ference.
a duel with scythes, suh-a meet
ing on the field of honah with farm
ing implements, No gentleman's dig
nifty would permit of it, 1 argued and
protested and disputed. but General
Blum and the public were firm. In
standing to my guns 1 lost prestige.
At the end of three days scarcely a
man in town would nod to me, and
the newspapers were asking if Colo
nel Bunker was afraid. 1t was then,
sub, and only then, that L resolved to
fight the general with his own weap-
pms. / must do it to save my prestige.
The public was with me at once. 1 |
had my pick of 20 different scythes.
and l was determined from the first
that l would begin at the generals ]
heels and gradually cut him down to
his neck. No mercy should be shown I
N such a case Public excitement ran |!
rs high as If state election was be- |
ng held, and when the morning OF the !
1uel came there We're hundreds on the !
ground TO see. i set 10th with my |