HISTORY OF A FAMOUS DUEL. 407 



versaiy, the law would regard him as a murderer." 

 The Colonel added, that he should give the word 

 to fire by exclaiming, " One, two, three ! " that 

 each man was to fire directly " Three 1 " was pro- 

 nounced ; that until then they were to keep their 

 eyes fixed upon him. If either man failed to fire 

 instantly when " Three ! " was said, the Colonel 

 warned him solemnly to beware of the conse- 

 quences. 



Withdrawing for a few paces, Colonel Anson 

 called out in a loud voice, " Gentlemen, are you 

 ready ? " A couple of nods of the head indicated 

 assent, and the word " One ! " rang out with 

 startling clearness. A long pause followed, and 

 then, almost in the same breath, the Colonel 

 vociferated, " Two, three ! " At the sound of the 

 last word Lord George fired in the air, and Mr 

 Osbaldeston was so hurried in his aim that his 

 bullet went through his noble adversary's hat 

 within a couple of inches of its wearer's hair. 

 " I did not think you were so bad a shot. Squire," 

 laughingly remarked the Colonel, overjoyed at 

 the bloodless conclusion of an affair which had 

 augured so ill for his principal. " It might have 

 come off differently next time," growled out the 

 Squire, who was well aware that Colonel Anson 

 had saved his friend's life. For some years Lord 

 George and Mr Osbaldeston never spoke. Then 

 there came a time when Lord George, whose 

 horses were trained at Danebury, wished to be- 



