The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-24

it off for week, but the day befo' it
was to take place the judge fell over q
| dog on the sidewalk and hurt his back
He offered to go to the field and be
| tied upright to a tree while he fired,
| but, of course, that would have been RI
diculous. 1 granted him a week in
which to get well, and the another
queer thing happened. A boy on the
street threw a stone and injured my
eye, and the judge insisted on my TAX
ing two weeks to get well in. I offered
to fight that duel blindfolded, but he
wouldn't hear of it.
1.-THE two weeks were up within two
days, and L was indulging in target
practice, when the judge was taken
down with the mumps. Yes, sub, a
regular case of the mumps, and mighty
bad at that. He was willing to meet me
with his jaws tied up in a clean rag,
but wasn't bloodtnirsty enough to in
sist. The duel had to be postponed for
three weeks, and after the first week
had expired the judge telegraphed me
to come over and bring the poem
went, and as we shook hands he said:
Jim, I want to hear that poem
again. Maybe / did you injustice
"'Suh, do you wish to insult me a
second time? 1 demanded.
:" Not at all Perhaps I was off that
day and couldn't appreciate poetry.
II finally decided to meet him half
way and went ahead and read five
verses. Then he stopped me and faint
ed away jest like g. woman, and when
recovered
me that was all owing to my poetry. 1t
was then, suh-it was then that de-
termined not to spare his life, and that
the duel must be fought at the date
named, even if we were both carried to
the ground on stretcherS.
Nothing occurred to call for further
postponement. When the day dawned
set out for the spot selected, intend
ing to be first on the ground. That has
always been my practice, sub. Being
first on the ground has graet moral
influence on your opponent. He attrto-
utes an intensity of determination TO
you that shakes his nerve. In climbing
a fence / got fall and in crossing
field was chased by a bull. Worse
was to come. 1 was within forty rods
of the spot SELECTED when fell into a
I had the poem in my pocket, and
somehow it fell out, and upon my
honan, sun, one of those internal hawgs
seized and deVoured It. My physical
the ground was totally unfavorable, but
the judge was no better. He had fallen
over a log, tumbled into creek and
IT have heard it said by the seconds
that there was humor in the situa Iion.
1 don't know as to that. sub. though
However we were there to fight. and
the seconds were measuring of the dis
t nad fb wns6 e sara ths Judge
was coming down with chickenpox and
that 1t would be 1nnurr'a1 TO so on 10 n
finish. am not an inhuman man. sub.
and so that duel was put off again. and
is still hanging fire. My poem was eaten
by a razor-back 1awy, and I've really
forgotten the judges criticism, but on
the first hint-the very first breath-that
he is ready to carry ort his part of 1t
shall be there.
Meanwhile, suh-meanwhile, as / see
that the Thermometer stands at IS degrees
and as a mint JuleP seems to be the only
thing that goes to the spot in such wealth
err. Yes, suh-thank you, sub. A very
fan DlGaGe. of i~rn
in it."-(Copyright, 1904, by T. c. Nc
Clure.)