The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-08
A Valuable Second


prised me by making reference to a
duel he had once fought in the south.
Your" exclaimed. do you mean
to tell me that you have fought a
duelY'
Once"
II thought you were opposed to duel
ing"
Il am. 1t happened this way: When
young man lived in Ohio, a state, as
you know, which then bordered on
slave states. A gentleman from Ken
lucky, Chester Gay, came across the
Ohio river and persuaded me to en-
bark some capital with him in raising
blooded stock in the blue grass region.
was pleased with the idea of an open
air occupation-I was not in very good
health-and accepted his offer. He was
twenty years my senior and IN every
way a fine man. But he was modest
and never told me what I learned In
time-that he was very nervy. He was
afterward killed leading a Confederate
regiment at the battle of Shiloh.
I'VE had stocked our farm and every
thing was running smoothly when
Abraham Lincoln was elected president.
The announcement was signal for an
opening of those secession guns that
doomed sharply and successfully for
some months. Gay was opposed to Sc
cession, and would have had no trou-
BILE had it not been for red mouthed
man, one Of the numerous 'colonels'
Of the south, called Plummer, who,
knowing that l was northern man,
perfectly satisfied with the existing ma
drive me out Of the state. l learned
afterward that he wished to marry
girl had met and to whom l was be-
coming much attached. He was good
deal of a gambler, as some of the F. F.
KS were in those days, and a noted
duelist-that is, he had been out a
number of timeS-and was a dead shot.
Il kept my mouth closed as to politics,
but that did not save me. One evening
in the office room of a hotel Colonel
PAummer approached me and fired
number of insulting remarks that
called for resentment. l paid no at
tentiOn to him. for l saw his intention
to force me into fight, but went i'm
mediately to Mr.. Gay for advice in the
matter. He sat thinking for a few
minutes, then said quietly:
you're one the horns Of dilemma.
One horn is that you must give up
your interest in our stock farm and
this love affair of yours, for you would
not be justified in marrying girl with
your reputation smirched as it would
be among her associates and her fam
lily unless you resent a public insult.
The other horn is to challenge Plum
mer. My advice is for you to challenge
him. After that you can leave the
state, if you like, with an unsullied
reputation
"'That is, If I leave it at all. Be-
sides, am bitterly opposed to dueling.'
"'Oh, don't think there will be much
danger
There was an unfathomable express
sion on my friends face. l questioned
him further, but could get no satisfac-
tory explanation of his meaning. His
wish that should fight and the belief
that failure to do so would cost ne
the girl desired to make my wife de-
cided me. Besides, didn't like such
treatment and was seized with the de-
sire to bore u hole in Plummer. had
never been out but l was no mean
shot with either rifle or pistol. I sent
Plummer a challenge through Gay.
"a meeting was arranged to take
place in the early morning at seclud
ed spot on the Kentucky river. l ar
rived with my friend before the Op-
posing party and l confess felt much
depressed, but when the others ap-
peared the sight of my enemy and the
remembrance of his abusive language
of the night before made me hot.
forgot both my prejudices and the
chances of being killed. 1t had been
arranged that we were to fight with
Derringers at forty PAGES and continue
till the principals were both satisfied.
We took our positions, the seconds
withdrawing little distance and load
ing the weapons. AS soon as they haG
done this Gay approached me and
handed mine to me, while Plummer's
second did the same for him.
1T was an unpleasant half minute
while stood there looking at the muz-
zle Of a pistol In the hand Of a dead
shot. Gay gave the signal, and we
fred almost together. was so certain
that I had been hit that imagined
felt warm blood trickling from my
breast. But stood stock still. There
was most surprised expression on my
enemy's face. He had aimed at the
center Of my body, and yet 1 was un.
harmed. He called for another shot.
His second tried to dissuade him, but
failed, and the pistols were reloaded.
1.-THE next time Plummer fired a sec
ond or two after me, and knew he
was taking a deliberate aim. Never
theless neither of us was touched. This
time the look on the colonel's face was
more than surprise; it was astonish-
ment He threw down his weapon ard
exclaimed:
by GeO'ge, gentlemen, I'll neve' f1'e
a pistol again. My eyesight must have
gone hack Of mo I've hoen ont dOZ-