The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-05-08
Colonel Bunker
By NJ QUAD
Copyright. 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.
BY NJ. QUAD

window-"l was just thinking Of al
incident In my early career as duel
vt. In fact, sub. when this thing cam
about | had not yet drawn my rapie
on the field OF honoh. In the southern
town where first hung out my shin
bucks of young men, and l was one o.
them.
I'VE were sports, sub. We rode, WI
gambled, and we staggered. We talk
ed about our honoh, and we took NJ
adviN from our elders.
1T was a wonder we kept clear OF
the duello among our own selves, fol
we were hotheads. But destiny had
something laid up for us, and at the
proper time we learned what 1t was.
When dapper little man dropped into
the town one day and gave his name
as Professor Mayne and explained that
he was something Of naturalist we
had no idea that his coat covered des-
tiny.
1T was about week after the pro-
fessor's arrival, and none Of us young
blades had made his acquaintance yet
when six of us sat on the tavern veran-
da Of summers evening arranging a
fox hunt, when the stranger appeared
among us, and, looking directly at me,
he asked:
"May I have the honoh Of asking
your name?'
II gave it as Bunker, of cose.
Bunker? Bunkerr he repeated.
ibid you evan spell 1t with an Fl?
"'Suh, sub! What do you meanT
"~Was the name originally Junker?
"Egad. sub. the man was deliberately
insulting me!
II always thought I carried things
off very well for first time. / raised
my hat, handed him my card and turn
ed away. He received it with bow
and also turned.
There you were. suh-there you
were. A duel for sunrise was arranged
for within an hour. and was a hero.
Gould professor of natural his |
tory handle rapier like young buck
who was always at It?
mo, of co'se not, and I should play |
with him. Should | kill or only wound |
him? That question could wait and |
be settled after the blades had crossed.
The most I had to fear, as my friends
told me and as firmly believed my
self. was that the professor would Ell
Their send an abject apology or sneak
away during the night. He did nei-
Their. however.
I'VE talked the matter over, and all
the bucks thought l ought to run the
professor through the heart, and thus
1T once establish my reputation. but
decided that wound that would lay
him up about six weeks would do.
1T was only when the word had been
given and our blades had crossed that
found out / had caught a tartar
Why, sub. the professor made me look
ike 10 cents! He disarmed me twice
n ten minutes. He could have killed
ne during the next five, but he stayed
lis hand.
AT length, after humilating me for
he best part of half an hour. he pink
d me In the shoulder and was out of
/. / wept bitter tears as the surgeon
Iressed my wound. The young bucks
lidn't know what to make Of 1t, but
greed that they must find excuse to
halenge the professor until some one
lad landed him.
"Egad, sub. they didn't have to 20
uniting far for excuses. He brought
hem along and laid them at the feet
( those who waited. He stopped Dick
'ascomb ON the street and politely said
0 him:
"'suh nature has made mistake in !
our case
What do you mean, suhr asked
,fck. I
That your nose is screwed on
rocked 9
"'suh. You must answer for this in Z
uit-
Yours to command .
"A second duel, you see, sub, and 7
18th the same weapons. wasn't ?
lere to see. but they told me that he :
Iade q bigger monkey OF Dick Bias Q
,mb than be did OF me. when he
I'd made q show OF him long enough
? gave him the point in the same
BOULDER he had me and walked away :
histllng
We had a sensation in that town .
Nv and for fifty miles beyond II. The
-ofessor had made two victims and :
az liable to make others. but there !"
asnt much feeling against him nor 9
UGH sympathy for those who had felt
; steel.
Joe beaumont was TO be his third.
was rspies again. I rode to the v
ounds 10 see the duel Joe went at :.
from the FIRST Ike . butcher with a !"
ne knife and was dissrmed every
Der minute Tie got 80 mad that be =
ed Ike = boy
It was the same Old sfory-vounded
the same ss--ulder
Three smart bucks Three duets
Three arms In three Sling
Three ~ rs trying 70 explain vhv "
wasn't the other fellow who was a
lked
~ was humiiiatinR. sub. and Jet u
Il the proper remedy u broke %
. csbal and settled ne down 3D. take
more serious view - ne AZ 20 ne n !
lfesuor. he v.ssnt e naturalist ~ Ed. 80
/ q famous feurer. and Z tssiers 10 >,
. hired ~ fhsrse who wishpa ~ ueu ~
o0r1s there md rdminis,sr the rem 80