202 THE DUEL. 



of a leathern girdle. Each was provided with a knife, 

 and one then asked the other, " how much cold steel he 

 could take ?" This point settled, and the blades excepting 

 the stipulated inch or two securely wadded, the champions 

 set to and gashed away at each other right and left ! And 

 as the girdle with which they were encompassed prevented 

 either from retreating, or even from flinching, the comhat 

 only terminated by one of them crying out " enough !" 

 which was often not until one or both had received their 

 death-wound. These contests were, in fact, of so deadly 

 a nature, that when women went to great banquets, such 

 as marriages, funerals, and the like, where feuds were pretty 

 sure to ensue, they were accustomed to take a shroud along 

 with them, it being very problematical whether or no the 

 husband, brother, or son, as the case might be, would return 

 home alive ! 



