Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-05-10
A Veterans ArmOr

By LAURENCE FOSTER CHURCH.

Here IL q story rescued from some
old family papers that Ind not been
overhauled In half a century. ! have
reconstructed It from In original letter
form. preserving the first person In
which IT was written.
came TO New Orleans In 1876 from
France ] was sitting one evening.
soon after my arrival, In cafe when
en- elderly man. about fifty-fiye l think.
stepped up to me and with a broad
southern accent said, you are M.
Deam0unea OF Paris, believe, sub"
II am and at your service, monsieur. I"
II am a stranger in the city, sub. I
am planter from the interior Of the
state. ! desire the services Of some
one familiar with the code duelIo and
have been told that You have OBLIGATED
on several occasions at meetings among
gentlemen. IL 1t would not be too much
TO ask, sub, would like you to act TO-
me In an affair Of hona', sub"
He was9a typical Louisiana planter
Of the period, but withal having sol.
dierly bearing tall, erect and with
grizzly gray hair.
II shall be happy TO serve you, mon
nieuF, But | should like to know
something about the case"
Certainly, sub. My opponent de.
clared publicly that General jackson
at the battle Of New O'leans used cot
ton bales 10 bFeastwo'ks. / told him
that he was mistaken. He persisted.
I gave him tho 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 ,rightf' asked.
Certainly, suhl was present ut
TIM battle, sun"
"And who II your opponentT'
Camille Trudeau, sub"
"Camille TFudeaul II he here7 why,
my dear sir, he has been out twenty
times and always killed or winged his
man"
$50 ! have heard, sub"
After q failure to induce Captain st.
Hager the name no gave me--to And
q way out Of the difficulty, consented
70 act for him. His opponents second
Informed me that his principal, who
was twenty-five years younger than
~. Leger, would not kin the captain
"a he could possibly help 1t. st, Leger,
as the challenged party. selected pls.
tolls and ground under the levee
few miles north Of the city. We pro-
ceeded thlther at daybreak the next
morning. | noticed that the captain
stepped from his carriage gingerIy and
walked on 10 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 fred at the drop
OF hat. Trudeau was unharmed.
It, Leger received a ball In the leg
that nearly knocked him over, But he
maintained hts 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 bul- |
let there. Such a stroke should be |
sufficient to put any man out Of the
dght. We endeayored 10 induce the |
ud man to withdraw. but he would |
not hear of It.
Just before the next signal saw /
TFudeau looking at his opponents
right arm, as II he intended 10 shatter
T. | was not surprised that he
changed his intention. for he could not I
carry It out without killing his man.
When the shots rang ont Trudeau was
still unframed. St. Leger's left arm
swayed and then hung limp. He stood
~ steady as ever.
Trudeau turned pale. Was he to
to put holes in his adverS
ary's members without any percepti-
Die in1ury3 | confess I was puzzled.
rrudeau appeared to be ratified. The
'aptaln's shots had been drawing
loser 10 him, and this doubtless had
"a effect upon his nerve. i
sc. LeEer insisted ON another round.
When their hands were raised for
ha next shot | thought noticed a
light tremor at tho muxAle OF Tru-
leau'a pistol. The captains face was
! study, It showed plainly that this
lime he was determined 10 KIN his op.
lonent and showed. further. great con-
laence In his ability to do 20. be-
1--we Trudeau considered that his own
he depended on taking his opponents.
hit his nerve had gone. and be looked
nxioas. The captain stood straight
= q ramrod on his wounded leg. which
= had not permitted the surgeon to
xamine and on which no blood was
asihle. | locked to see Il costing from
ndsF hia pantaloons where they were
trapped over bis boot. but looked Ia
ain.
At the next Gre Trudeau's bullet
;n0cked St. Leger's pistol out OF his
and. glanced and buried itself IN
nee, Trudean fell with a hole In the
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