Page images
PDF
EPUB

IN THE UNITED STATES, 1853.

had a

A COUPLE of young men, in the lower part of difficulty about a young lady, in the course of which a banter was given for a fight. It was at length agreed that it should be a duel, and the weapons pistols. Seconds were chosen, and the preliminaries agreed on. To keep the courage of the principals from taking the direction of Bob Acres's, and oozing out of their finger-ends, they were privately informed that the pistols would be loaded only with powder. One evening in the latter part of last week the parties proceeded to the Plank Road, the ground was measured, and a pair of villanous-looking horse-pistols presented to the combatants, and the word given. At the discharge, one of the parties, dexterously smearing his face with some red liquid and uttering a groan, fell heavily to the ground. His opponent, astounded at the result, was coolly informed by his second that his pistol was loaded right. Dropping his pistol, rushed forward, imploring the wounded man to speak, but was answered only by groans, as if in great pain. Convinced that he had dangerously, if not fatally, wounded his antagonist, he started full run to make his escape, and next morning about daylight reached his brother's, about ten miles from Here the whole family, including his mother, were startled by the revelation, and the brother with all speed came to and, taking up some funds, several hundred dollars, his mother had in a bank, to employ counsel, &c. on behalf of his brother, came on to to ascertain the state of the wounded man, and found that his brother was the victim of a hoax.

he

GALIGNANI tells us that a singular duel took place recently in the Bois de Boulogne. Two coachmen who had long felt illblood for each other, and had never met without squabbling, stood again in the presence of each other, when one of them said, "Our quarrelling has now lasted too long; it is time to put an end to it. Let us have one fight, and let that be the last. We neither of us understand anything of sword or pistol; let us fight with our whips!" and they set to accordingly.

DUELLING ON THE AUSTRIAN FRONTIER.

On the borders of Austria and Turkey, where a private pique or quarrel of an individual might occasion the massacre of a

[ocr errors]

family or village, the desolation of a province, and perhaps even the more extended horrors of a national war, whensoever any serious dispute arises between two subjects of the different empires, to terminate it recourse is had to what is called "the custom of the frontier." A spacious plain or field is selected, whither, on an appointed day, judges of the respective nations repair, accompanied by all those whom curiosity or interest may assemble. The combatants are not restricted in the choice or number of their arms, or in their method of fighting, but each is at liberty to employ whatsoever he conceives is most advantageous to himself, and avail himself of every artifice to insure his own safety and destroy the life of his antagonist. One of the last times that this method of deciding a quarrel on the frontiers was resorted to, the circumstances were sufficiently curious. The phlegmatic German, armed with the most desperate weapon in the world, a rifle pistol, mounted on a carabine stock,― placed himself in the middle of the field; and, conscious that he would infallibly destroy his enemy if he could once get him within shot, began coolly to smoke his pipe. The Turk, on the contrary, with a pistol on one side and a pistol on the other, and two more in his holsters, and two more in his breast, and a carabine at his back, and a sabre by his side, and a dagger in his belt, advanced like a moving magazine, and, galloping round his adversary, kept incessantly firing at him. The German, conscious that little or no danger was to be apprehended from such a marksman with such weapons, deliberately continued to smoke his pipe. The Turk at length perceiving a sort of little explosion, as if his antagonist's pistol had missed fire, advanced like lightning to cut him down, and almost immediately was shot dead. The wily German had put some gunpowder into his pipe, the light of which his enemy mistook, as the other had foreseen would be the case, for a flash in the pan; and, no longer fearing the superior skill and superior arms of his adversary, fell a victim to them both when seconded by artifice. Flowers of Anecdote.

DUEL OF TWO GASCONS.

Two Gascons having a quarrel, a challenge passed between them. When they were come to the ground, one of them said to the other, who was in a posture to commence the combat, 'Ah, my friend, how you charm me! I shall regret exces

66

sively to kill so fine a fellow as you.

Ask your life, and I will

grant it to you." The other said that he was not come to that pass yet, but was prepared to defend himself. The first speaker repeated his kind offer: "Ah, my good fellow, do ask your life; I will willingly give it you." But the other, who saw through his fanfaronade, called upon him instantly to stand to his defence, that the fight might be commenced. "Ah!" said the first, "I do admire the fine appearance you make in your posture you are a perfect Cæsar. Why should such a fine fellow be caused to bite the dust? Will you really not ask your life?" "No, no," thundered out the other; "defend yourself, or I will kill you.' "You ravish me!" cried the man of mercy. "But if you are determined not to ask your life of me, why, I ask mine of you!"

[ocr errors]

HOW A DUEL MAY BE GOT up.

66

66

THIS affair of the duel is worth recording. It happened thus: “That was a very beautiful ostrich-plume which Miss Smith wore at the race ball last night," said I. "I thought it the ugliest thing I ever saw," remarked Captain Brown. "It certainly was not ugly," I replied; but, of course, there may be different opinions as to its beauty. I, for instance, thought it very beautiful." "And I thought it very ugly," responded Captain Brown; 66 as ugly as Miss Smith herself." "Miss Smith is not exactly handsome, I allow," was my answer; "but a lady may not be handsome, and yet not ugly." “Every one to his taste," said Captain Brown, with what I considered an insulting air; and then added, "Every Jack has his Gill! ” "Miss Smith is no Gill of mine," I replied. "I did not say she was," said Captain Brown, and laughed. “And I am no Jack," I continued, nettled by his laugh. "I did not say you were," said Captain Brown, fiercely; "but if you want to make a quarrel of it, you may. I say again, and I have as much right to say what I say, as you have to say what you say, that Miss Smith's ostrich-plume was ugly, as ugly as Miss Smith herself." "Since you put it thus offensively, Captain Brown," I retorted, "I now maintain there was nothing ugly, no, not anything ugly at all, either in Miss Smith's feathers or Miss Smith herself. I'll not be browbeaten by any man, Captain Brown!" " Sir, you are insolent!" exclaimed

"Very

Captain Brown, looking as scarlet as his own jacket. likely; but I always make it a rule to conduct myself towards persons as they deserve," and I turned upon my heel to quit the room. Captain Brown followed me to the door. "You shall hear from me in an hour," said he. "In half an hour, if you like," said I, and walked away, boiling with indignation.

Before I heard from Captain Brown, I was as cool as a cucumber. I saw all the folly of my situation. I had never spoken to Miss Smith in my life. What was it to me, then, whether her ostrich-plume was beautiful or ugly, or she herself handsome or a fright? I resolved to treat the matter with ridicule. It would be preposterous to go out for such a cause. We should be the laughing-stock of all our friends and acquaintance. These were my first thoughts, when my mind was calm enough for thought to take the place of feeling. Besides, I might be shot through the body; and all for what? a silly dispute about Miss Smith and her feathers! I did not like the idea. I determined I would not make an affair of honor of it. But what would the world say, if Captain Brown posted me as a coward, or horsewhipped me, or if I were pointed at as a man who had sneaked out of a duel by a voluntary apology? These were my second thoughts. They carried the day, after a sharp struggle with my first. I determined I would make an affair of honor of it. I did so. I met Captain Brown the next morning at sunrise, and I sacrificed one of my fingers, besides the risk of sacrificing my life, in defence of Miss Smith's personal charms and the disputed pulchritude of her ostrich-plume. - New Monthly Magazine.

No. XVII.

DUELLING: A TALE OF WOE.

[From Bentley's Miscellany.]

THERE is a trait in Irish character which I have always conceived to be naturally chivalrous, and that is a general dislike to seek in courts of law a momentary compensation for honor outraged through woman's folly. In England, reparation for loss of services is considered a thing as correctly reclaimable as loss of profit on a broken contract for a cargo of seal-oil or guano; while

in the sister kingdom, in nine cases out of ten, the man who works upon the weakness of a wife, or trifles with the affections of a sister, is not subjected to the assessment on amounts of injury by the computation of a jury, but summoned to give personal satisfaction in the field. Many a fatal case, recorded in the annals of Irish duelling, will tell how frequently profligate success has paid, in turn, a bloody penalty.

In caricaturing Milesian manners and feelings, it has been asserted that you could not look at a Cork lady at a suppertable but she graciously murmured, "Port, if you please!" or dance a second time with a man's sister, that he was not certain to drop in next morning, before you dressed, to inquire whether your intentions to the young lady were matrimonial. That a number of unhappy marriages have been effected by pistol intervention, is too true; and I recollect one sad case where the love was on the lady's side, and a fine-spirited and honorable young fellow, with all before him that could promise happiness, was suddenly removed from existence ere the third week closed that followed as bright a union as could be fancied.

R- was remarkably handsome, and those personal advantages were enhanced by the total unconsciousness that he possessed them. A young lady saw, loved; and remembering what Viola's friends suffered from concealment, she saved the damask of her cheek, and intimated to the gentleman the state of her affections. In reply, poor R candidly confided his situation to the lady. He had wooed and won the only woman he loved, and the next Monday would bless him with her hand.

Harriette M- was handsome, self-willed, rich, and proud as Lucifer. Rin fortune was her equal, but in birth a caste below. The circumstance, however, that embittered her rejection and if rejection be humiliating to a man, how fearfully must it agonize the woman who, perverting conventional usages, sues when she should be sought, supplicates what she should conceal, and is rejected?

"Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a woman spurned."

The

And for whom had her hand and fortune been declined? daughter of a village curate; rich in nothing but youth, and innocence, and beauty.

The Devil never prompts a delinquency, that he does not manage to supply a tool. George Pemberton was Harriette's kinsman,

« PreviousContinue »