38 DUEL 



measured, the pistols delivered by the seconds, and each 

 took his position. So unacquainted was the lieutenant 

 with the nature of this detestable practice of settling 

 disputes, that he presented his front to his adversary, 

 which the captain observing, said in a low voice, " Show 

 me your feather edge, sir, or I'll shoot you as dead 

 as a rat." Upon this, by direction of his second, he 

 adjusted his position, and on the signal being given they 

 both fired. The lieutenant stood unhurt ; Avhile the 

 captain fell, exclaiming something expressive of his 

 surprise at having missed him, and died before he was 

 carried off the ground. 



The words which the great Napoleon said, when 

 General Moreau was mortally wounded by a cannon-ball 

 before the walls of Dresden, " Surelv the finder of 

 J^rovidence was there," may much more justly be applied 

 on this occasion. The body of Captain S. was interred in 

 the burying-ground at Port-Royal, and in one short year 

 after, his adversary lay by his side, having died of 

 yellow fever. 



The day after our assembly in the captain's cabin the 

 order of the watch was rearranged, and we three, who 

 were now raised from supernumeraries to the rank 

 of full midshij^men, were, with the junior master's mate 

 (who, wise in his generation, had either cunningly or 

 accidentally avoided committing himself as the others 

 had done), were put into the third lieutenant's watch, the 

 officer who from the beginning had taken me under his 

 kind protection. Then did my time pass pleasantly 

 enough ; feeling a little my importance, as forecastle 



