The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-07-10

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prcteXt or anotncr, appropriated 4
Q hilnself everything on which he couI,
= lay his hands. My father, however
, was himself pretty slirewd I'm none,
l matters, having inherited along witt
!, MS fortune rare knack Mt keeping II
, his rather was goldsmith In the tim,
, ., Nihs EDWARD and enjoyed the mark
ed favor of that puissant prince.
. Being thus In position of affluence
cared nothing for the fact that little
or no emolument went with the office
.t was the honor which delighted me-
BESIDES, l was thereby an inmate OF
tue kings palace and brought into I'm.
innate relations with the court md,
above all, with the finest ladies of the
mnd-the best company man can
Keep, since it cnnobles his mind with
better thoughts, purifies his heart with
cleaner moti"es and makes him gentle
without dctracting from his strength.
IL was an Office any lord of the king
dom might have been proud to hold.
NOW, some four or five years after
my induction into this honorable office
thcrc came to court news of a terrible
; ducl fought down in Suffolk, out of
winch only ono of the four combatants
= had come alivc-two, rather, but one of
them In condition worse than death.
I The first survivor was son of Sir
| William Brandon. and the second was
Man called Sir Adam Judson. The
story went that young Brandon and
his elder brother, both just home from
the continental wars, had met Judson
ut an Ipswich inn, where there had been
considerable gambling among them.
Judson had Won from the brothers n
large sum Of money which they had
brought home, for, notwithstanding
their youth, the elder being but twen-
ty-six and the younger about twenty
four years Of age, they had gained
wars, especially the younger, whose
name was Charles.
1t is n little hard to fight for money
and then to lose it by single spot up
on the die, but such is the fate of him
who plays, and philosopher will swal-
low his i'll luck and take to fighting for
more. The Brandons could have done
this easily enough, especially Charles,
who was an offhand philosopher, rather
fond of Il good humorcd fight, had 1t not
been that in the course OF play one
evening the secret Of Judson's winning
had been disclosed by discovery that
!, he cheated The Brandons waited un-
til they were sure, and then trouble
| began, which resulted In duel OH the
second morning following.
This Judson was n Scotch gentleman
Of whom very little was known except
| that he was counted the most deadly
and most cruel duclst of the time. He
was called the walking Death" and
It is said he took pride in the appella-
| tion. He boastcd that he had fought
eighty-scven duels, in which he had
killed sevcnty-five men, and 1t was con-
sidcred certain death to meet him. I
got the story of the duel afterward
from Brandon as give 1t here.
John was the elder brother and when
the challenge came was entitled to fight
first, birthright out of which Charles
tried in vain to talk him. The broth
ers told their father, Sir William Bran
don and Mt the appointed time father
and SONS repaired to the place of meet
ing, where they found Judson and his
two seconds ready for the fight.
Sir William was still vigorous man,
with few equals in sword play, and the
sons, especially the younger were bet
ter men and more skillful than their ia
ther had ever been, yet they felt that
this duel meant certain death, SO great
was Judson's fame for skill and cruel
ty. Notwithstanding they were so hand
icapped with this feeling Of impending
evil, they met their duty without Q
tremor, for the motto Of their house
was "Malo Mori Guam Fedrai."
1t was misty morning in March
Brandon has told me since that wher
his elder brother took his stand 1t wa
ut once manifest that he was Judson'
superior both i'm strength and skill, bu
D after few strokes the brSther's blad
2 bent double and broke off short ut tn
, hilt when 1t should have gone home
l Thereupon Judson, with malignan
smile Of triumph, deliberately selecte'
: his opponents heart and pierced 1t wit
j his sword, giving the blade twist a
q he drew 1t out I'm order to cut and NUT
i late the more.
III an instant Sir Williams double
I was off, and lie was in his dead SON.
3 tracks, ready to avenge him or to die
!. 4 Again the thrust which should hav
: killed broke the sword. and the fathe
:. died as the son had died.
After this came young Charles, es
!, pecting, but so great was his stron
. heart, not one whit fearing, to lie bt
= 4 side his dead father and brother. II
!, knew he was the superior Of both ]
= tsrcngth and skin, and his knowledG