Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1910-07-21


ing mint juleps. entered the room
with two friends. and, that | might
not be considered to have come espe-
cially to tiud him, we called for juleps
paying no attention to Murphy. who
sat at q table with another man. On
seeing me he scowled. but said moth
ing till we had finished our juleps and
were about to leave. AS we passed
him he hlssed:
yankee cur!' .r
| brought the palm of my hand
across his cheek and quickly stepped
back, and my friends placed them
selves between him and me. One of
them said to him:
You have repeatedly injured a man
whose ancestors were South Caro-
linians. He is worthy of his fathers.
which you are not, he is ready TO give
you satisfaction shall expect IL
hear from you at my house at your
convenience"
With that we left the tavern.
Mr.. Murphy now had to choose be
tween sending me challenge and be
ing considered in the neighborhood
what he had called me-a cur" The
challenge came, and handed 1t to DR.
Armitage. A reply went back that |
would meet Murphy. but. being the
challenged party. must insist on my
own terms. These were cavalry sa.
bers In dark room. the time limit of
the contest TO be fifteen minutes. ut
the expiration of which the doors
were to be thrown open and the affair
ended. The hour of the meeting was
to be s o'clock p. IN. or at twilight.
Twenty-four hours elapsed and we
were beginning to think that Murphy
had been buffed when a reply came
accepting the terms. bedroom was
secured at the tavern from which cv
cry article OF furniture was removed
except the carpet. There were but tive
windows, which Were boarded up. ren
dering the room as nearly dark as roS
sible.
At half past DR. Armitage, my sec
ond, and myself entered the tavern
and passed upstairs to a waiting room
that had been assigned us. The doc
tor took out of his vest pocket a vial
and Gamers hair brush.
"Slt down there" he said. pointing
to an easy chair.
| obeyed, and dipping the brush III
the vial, the doctor drew the former
across my eyes. This done he band
aged them. and | remained for some
twenty-five minutes in total darkness
At s o'clock the bandage was remov.
ed. passed across hallway and en-
tered the room where | was to meet
Murphy. There was another door by
which he was introduced to the room
The two doors were closed simultane.
ously, and we were in total darkness
At least we were supposed to be in
total darkness Murphy was really so
/ was not. DR.. Armitage, having dilat.
ed the pupils of my eyes by means Of
a drug and then having kept them
bandaged for awhile, had enabled mt
to take advantage of the little light
that filtered through any crack in the
windows or between the door and tht
sill. was astonished, knowing. rs Il
did, that every possible ray had been
shut out from the room, that could Sc,
Murphy with fair distinctness. couc
also see that he was oblivIous to every
object in the room. including myself
| advanced stealthily and touched
his chest with the point of my saber
He drew back, and l made a detour
to another part of the room. II was
amusing to see him grope. every mo
ment expecting that he might receive
thrust. | could not discover the ex
preston on his face. but his attitudes
were quite plain TO me. Most of tn,
time he sided along the wall, but AT
the slightest sound from me would
retreat in any direction his fright di
tatcd.
For awhile | amused myself l.,
getting quite near him and touching
him with my saber. His agony at
such times must have been extreme |
But, finding that my increased sism
was diminishing. | presently began
to give him some singing blows witt
the fiat OF the steel. In this way \
felt justified In furnishing him for his |
insolence and now and again be |
labored him soundly. He struck al
me wildly, but | was never where his |
thrusts came or his blows fell Once |
he made so quick a stab that barely |
had time TO avoid getting the point
of his weapon in my ribs. Irritated |
approached him and gave him .
blow on the cheek that drew blood |
At that moment the doors wer,
thrown open, and, with cry oil
Times up!" the seconds rushed II |
to stop the fray.
The strain on Murphy had been Sc
terrible that as soon as 1t was Over |
he swooned. ! think | should have |
done the same had an unseen enemy |
been thrusting n saber at me for . |
quarter of an hour, ! expecting will !
rCery thrust to be killed AS 1t was |
] got credit for extraordinary nerve !
no one being in the secret except !
DR. Armitage. my second. and my |
self. Neither Mr.. Armitage nor my |
wife knew anything about the nlTai, |
till II was all over
Murphy never troubled us again.
The Psychological Moment.
"1s Miss Wheaton at homer asked /
ono of thn npiphborS of tha SDinSTpr IS |