Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1909-06-02

A Veterans ArmOr
By LAURENCE FOSTER CHURCH.

ciationl
Here is a story / rescued from some
old family papers that had not been
overhauled in half a century. / have
reconstructed 1t from its original letter
form, preserving the FIRST person in
which it was written:
l came to New Orleans IN 1915 from
France was sitting one evening,
soon after my arrival, In a cafe when
an elderly man. about fifty-fve | think.
stepped up to me and with a broad
southern accent said, you are NJ.
Desmounes of Paris. / believe, sub"
u am and at your service. monsieur"
81 am a stranger In the city, sub I
am planter from the interior of the
state. l desire the servi es of some
one familiar with the code duello and
have been told that you have officiated
on several occasions at meetings among
gentlemen. If it would not be too much
to ask. sub, | would like you to act TO-
me In an affair of bona, sub"
He was typical Louisiana planter
of the period. but withal having sol.
dlerly bearing-tall. 7rect and with
grizzly gray hair.
Il shall be happy to serve you, mon
sieur. But / should like to know
something about the case"
Certainly. sub. My opponent de-
clared publicly that General Jackson
at the battle of New Oleans used cot
ton bales TO breastwo'ks. | told him
that he was mistaken. He persisted
i gave him the lie. He challenged me"
| was surprised. | had not then
learned of the various methods among
gentlemen In vogue in the city of pick
ing quarrel which was based on an
other cause.
Were you right9" / asked
Certainly, sub! / was present at
the battle. sun
'And who is your opponentr'
camille Trudeau. sub"
Camille Trudeau! Is he here? Why,
my dear sir he has been out twenty
times and always killed or winged his
man"
$50 ! have heard, sub"
After a failure to induce Captain st.
Leger-the name he gave me@to find
way out of the difficulty, l consented
to act for him. His opponents second
informed me that his principal, who
was twenty-five years younger than
St. Leger. would not kill the captain
If he could possibly help it, st. Leger.
as the chall nged party. selected PTS
tolls and a ground under the levee
lew miles north of the city. We pro-
ceeded thither at daybreak the next
morning. | noticed that the captain
stepped from his carriage gingerly and
walked on to the ground with a slight
limp. There also seemed TO be some
thing the matter with his left arm
We placed the contestants thirty
PAGES apart. The captain told me that
he was poor shot and named the dis
lance himself They fired at the drop
OF hat Trudeau was unframed.
St Leger received bali IA the leg
that nearly knocked him over. But he
maintained his balance and awaited
the signal for another round. Trudeau
looked surprised. He had aimed at
the captains leg just below the knee
and knew that he had placed his bull
let there. Such stroke should be
sufficient to put any man out of the
fight We endeavored to induce the
old man to withdraw, but he would
not hear of 1t.
Just before the next signal / saw
Trudeau looking at his opponents
right arm, as If he intended to shatter
it. was not surprised that he
changed his intention. for he could not
carry it out without killing his man,
When the shots rang out Trudeau was
still unframed. st. Leger's left arm
swayed and then hung limp. He stood
as steady as ever.
Trudeau turned pale. Was he TO
continue to put holes in his adyer-
sary's members without any percepti.
bic injury? | confess was puzzled
Trudeau appeared to be ratified. The
captains shots had been drawing
closer to him, and this doubtless had
an effect upon his nerve.
St Leger insisted on another round
When their hands were raised for
the next shot | thought / noticed q
slight tremOr at the muZzle of Tru-
deau's pistol The captains face was
study. 1t showed plainly tlat this
time he was determined to kill his OPP
ponent and showed, further. great con-
fidence in his ability to do SO. | be-
lieve Trudeau considered that his own
life depended on taking his opponents
But his nerve had gone, and he looked
anxious, The captain stood straight
as a ramrod on his wounded leg. which
he had not permitted the surgeon TO
examine and on which no blood was
visible | looked to see it Oozing from
under his pantaloons whore they We're
strapped over his boot, but looked in
vain.
AT the next fire Trudeau's bullet
knocked st Leger's pistol out of his
hand. glanced and buried itself In a
tree Trudeau fell with a hole In the
center OF his forehead The others
present. except myself, ran to Trudeau.
/ started for st. Leger. but was sur
prised to see him walk To the carriage
with no more impeachment than his
usual limp. He told n,e to get in, and
We drove away.
Your lex, captain, and your armp' l
ex laimed
What about them?"
'The wounds"