The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-02-04
The REVENGE
OF A FATHER
A Professional DueIiSt Who
Met His Match.


reconstructed it from its original letter
form, preserving the first person in
which it was written:
came to New Orleans in 1S45 from
France. l was sitting one evening,
soon after my arrival, in a cafe when
an elderly man, about fifty-five, l
think stepped up to me and with a
broad southern accent said, "You are
N. Des.nounes of Paris, 1 believe,
suhF
81 am and at your service, monsieur"
81 am a stranger in the city, sub. l
am a planter from the interior of the
state. / desire the services 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 fo' me in an affair of hona', suh."
He was a typical Louisiana planter
of the period.
81 shall be happy to serve you, mon
sieur. But 1 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 fo' breastwo'ks. l told him
that he was mistaken. He persisted
gave him the lie. He challenged me-"
l was surprised. l had not then
learned of the various methods among
gentlemen in vogue in the city Of pick
ing a quarrel which was based on an
other cause.
"Were you right?" 1 asked.
Certainly, sub! 1 was present at
the battle suh."
"And who is your opponent?'
Camille Trudeau, suh."
Camille Trudeau! Is he here? Why,
my dear sir, he has been out twenty
times and always killed or winged his
man."
$50 1 have heard, suh."
After a failure to induce Captain st.
Leger-the name he gave me-to find
q 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 challenged party, selected pis-
tolls and a ground under the levee
few 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
tance himself. They fred at the drop
of a hat. Trudeau was unharmed. ST.
Leger received a ball in the leg that
nearly knocked him over. But he main
tanned his balance and awaited the sig
nal for another round. Trudeau looked
surprised. He had aimed at the cap
tain's leg just below the knee and
knew that he had placed his bullet
there. Such a stroke should be suffi-
cient to put any man out Of the fight
We endeavored to induce the old man
to withdraw, but without avail.
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 un-
harmed. 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 adver-
sary's members without any percepti-
BILE injury? 1 confess 1 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 l thought l noticed a
slight tremor at the muzzle of Tru-
deau's pistol. The captains face was
a study. 1t showed plainly that this
time he was determined to kill his op-
ponent and showed, further, great con-
fidence in his ability to do so. I be-
heve 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 sur
geon to examine and on which no
blood was visible. looked to see 1t
ooZing from under his pantaloons
where they were 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 hole in the
center of his forehead. The others
present, except myself, ran to Tru-
deau. started for st. Leger, but was
surprised to see him walk to the car
riage with no more impediment than
his usual limp. He told me to get in,
and we drove away.
"Your leg. captain, and your arm!" I