Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-06-23

with this view of the case and asked
how them gentlemanly fights" were
conducted. Thibadeaux said that he
had participated In several, both as
principal and second. If they desired
it he would be happy to manage a
meeting for them.
"Yo' see,' he added, 'if the lady
hears that you have had a street fight
about her she'll turn you both down.
But If she hears that yo. have fought
for her In a gentlemanly way she'll be
much flattered, and the man that wins
will have a tol'able good show"
This settled the matter. MI. Thiba-
deaux took charge of the affair entire
~, making all necessary arrangements,
providing a second for each principal
and sending to a neighboring town for
a "~sawbones." The time appointed
was the next morning at 7 o'clock,
the place to be where Cy Atkins had
met the subject of the dispute. Mr..
Thibadeaux said that in Louisiana,
where he had picked up his knowledge
of the code, 1t was considered bad taste
to talk about such affairs, and they
were usually kept secret. In this way
a vulgar crowd was avoided, and II
the fight was about a lady It was
deemed more respectful to her.
A bit of gunplay In the street would
not have necessarily called together a
crowd, but such q novelty as a duel
was sure to do so. 1t did not get out In
Shakedown City that an affair accord.
ing to the code, arranged by a promi-
nent Louisiana duelist, was to take
place, until late the night before the
meeting. Consequently the lady who
was to be fought for went to bed OBJ
livious to the fact that two men were
to meet the next morning at Z o'clock
in mortal combat to decide which
should give way to the other In an ef-
fort to obtain her favor. Indeed, hav-
ing looked over Shakedown City and
not being pleased with it, she had de-
termined to make an early start the
next morning for the place from which
she had come.
The secret of the duel was divulged
by one of the seconds at the Golden
Eagle saloon about midnight, and
most Of those present organized O
small game to last till morning with
the intention of adjourning from the
sitting to the dueling ground to wit
ness a real high toned shooting match
as practiced in the state of Louisiana.
Such an affair had never been known
in Shakedown, and, though the citi-
1ono hod hon ri nP thn oodn dt,alIn thoir
knowledge of it was very hazy.
About half past 6 each principal In
the coming affair, attended by his sec.
ond, left his residence and proceeded
to the ground. The master of cere-
monies was accompanied by the sur.
geon, a recent medical graduate, who
had gone west to establish a practice
but had never seen a gunshot wound In
his life. At the same time a crowd
emerged from the Golden Eagle saloon
and tramped down the road. Arrived
at the appointed spot, Mr.. Thibadeauz
marked off the ground, taking care
that neither Of the disputants was
placed so that the sun would shine In
his eyes,. He made the distance thirty
PAGES, which, he said, was usual In
such affairs. Each man was handed q
revolver that had passed inspection by
both seconds and stood ready for the
signal to fire. Mr.. Thibadeux said
that dropping a handkerchief was the
most approved method. But there
were very few handkerchiefs In the
party and they 20 soiled as not to be
surely distinguished by the principals
Therefore It was decided to drop a hat
Meanwhile a horse and buggy was
seen emerging from the town, and just
as the seconds handed the principals
their weapons the vehicle drew up In
the road beside the battle-ground.
whats goin' onT' asked a woman
who was driving.
Mr.. Thibadeaux, lifting his sombre-
70, advanced to her and explained that
a duel was about to be fought about
a woman.
"What woman?"
Zone that came to town yesterday,
NAM"
well, what has she got to do
with it?"
Inc matter was briefly explained to
her.
During the conversation the princi-
pals stood looking at the lady, recog.
nizing her as the person about whom
they had quarreled. The crowd, too,
turned their faces from the disputants
and gaped at her.
"See here, you galoots over there!"
she called. you don't want to fight
about me. I got a husband and three
children. And If 1 was single ]
wouldn't marry either of you. Ny
husbands sick, and Hilton, where we
live, is run down. 1 come over yere
TO see If there was a better chance to
make a livin'. I wouldn't live in the
town If you'd give it to me, and ]
wouldn't marry any man In 1t II ]
was single. So there! Git up, Sal"