

384 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



liis error, have apologised for it, and not have let 

 him appear on the ground. On the other hand, by 

 communion with the opposing second, the friend of 

 the man in the right, or the unjustly injured man, 

 ou"-ht in all instances to have made himself aware 

 whether or not the opponent intended the main- 

 tenance of the quarrel, or personal mischief; and if he 

 did not do so, he should have refused to permit his 

 principal to run the risk of butchering a fellow- 

 creature in what, in that case, must be considered as 

 in cold blood. Much of the mischief which, under 

 the old code of honour, took place, or indeed all of it, 

 was through the insufficiency of the seconds, and in 

 their not treating their principals as the merest 

 possible ciphers in all action, after the conduct of the 

 affair had been assigned to them. 



To such an extent was I, as well as others, con- 

 vinced of this, that we in undertaking affairs of this 

 sort invariably obtained a pledge, that before we con- 

 sented to move in it our principal would solemnly 

 bind himself to take no farther part in the affair, 

 save than by handling or otherwise, his pistol. Once 

 in the hands of his friend, a man must abide by his 

 dictation, consoling himself with the knowledge, tliat 

 if he is not carried through the affair with flying 

 colours, the blame attaches not to him : all he has to 

 do is to be on the fighting side, and to be perfectly 

 ready to shoot at, or be shot at for a week, if his 

 second requires it. On five different occasions I have 

 been appealed to, as second, in matters of this sort, 

 and though on each of these events the principals on 

 either side cared as little for the risk of their lives as 

 any brave men need do, and Heaven knows, in more 

 than one instance, were as hot and peppery as hasty 



