(iOO Mif First Dud. [Dec. 



which he marked by a knot, brovicrht it across the back over the left 

 shoulder, wliere the knot was tightly grasped by the left hand. " Now, 

 then," he said, on putting the pistol into my hand, " be cool ! When 

 the signal is given, let your arm steadily fall, till you find it brought 

 up by the handkerchief, and then fire!" The appointed signal was 

 given ; both fired at as nearly the same moment as possible, but with 

 unequal success. My adversary's bullet passed through my hat ; mine 

 was more unerring in its aim— he reeled, and fell. My first impulse 

 was to rush towards him, but I was arrested in my course by my 

 second, who stood close beside me. " Remain where you are. Sir," 

 said he ; " he may yet stand another shot." This was not, however, the 

 case — the ball had entered the shoulder ; and as the wounded man lay 

 weltering in his blood, he said, with a look of reproach to my com- 

 panion — " B n, this is all your doing." We conveyed him to a 



neighbouring hut, till the shades of evening allowed us to convey him 

 on board his ship. As we walked off the ground, my companion said 

 to me, " You doubtless wondered why I rather placed you at twelve 

 than sixteen paces. Know, then, that, at the latter distance, your adver- 

 sary was a dead shot. At twelve, it occurred to me that he might by 

 chance fire over you, that, unaccustomed to that distance, he might not 

 correctly allow for the parabola described by the ball on leaving the 

 pistol — the result," he added, with a smile, " has proved that my cal- 

 culation was correct. Had you, too," he added, " allowed your arm 

 to have fallen with greater force, the shot would have taken effect 

 lower, and might" (this was said very coolly) " have proved fatal. But 

 I must not find fault with you, as it was your first essay." 



On the following morning my generous friend — my preserver, in fact 

 —my wounded adversary, and his friends, sailed for the States. I have 

 never seen them since, or even heard of them, save a few short lines 

 sent me by a vessel they spoke at sea, to inform me that the wounded man 

 was doing well. 



I have often reflected since on the high-toned, generous feeling that 

 entered so deeply into the peculiarity of my situation ; the high resolve 

 that, once pledged, sternly devoted itself to carry me through, indifferent 

 to the ties of country or friendship. That my friend was a duellist, his 

 conduct on the ground warrants me in supposing. I am ignorant if he 

 yet walks this earth. But this I know, had I gone into the field with 

 any one else, I should now be sleeping beneath the white walls of the 

 Englisli cemetery at R . 



