JOURNALISM IN TENNESSEE. 47 



plaster of a newspaper, the Daily Hurrah! The crawling insect, Buckner, who edits the Hurrah, is 

 braying about this business with his customary imbecility, and imagining that he is talking sense." 



" Now that is the way to write — peppery and to the point. Mush-and-milk jour- 

 nalism gives me the fan-tods." 



About this time a brick came through the window with a splintering crash, and 

 gave me a considerable of a jolt in the back. I moved out of range — I began to 

 feel in the way. 



The chief said, " That was the Colonel, likely. I've been expecting him for two 

 days. He will be up, now, right away." 



He was correct. The Colonel appeared in the door a moment afterward with a 

 dragoon revolver in his hand. 



He said, " Sir, have I the honor of addressing the poltroon who edits this mangy 

 sheet?" 



" You have. Be seated, sir. Be careful of the chair, one of its legs is gone. I 

 believe I have the honor of addressing the putrid liar. Col. Blatherskite Tecumseh .'" 



" Right, sir. I have a little account to settle with you. If you are at leisure we 

 will begin." 



"I have an article on the 'Encouraging Progress of Moral and Intellectual 

 Development in America' to finish, but there is no hurry. Begin." 



Both pistols rang out their fierce clamor at the same instant. The chief lost a 

 lock of his hair, and the Colonel's bullet ended its career in the fleshy part of my 

 thigh. The Colonel's left shoulder was clipped a little. They fired again. Both 

 missed their men this time, but I got my share, a shot in the arm. At the third 

 fire both gentleman were wounded slightly, and I had a knuckle chipped. I then 

 said, I believed I would go out and take a walk, as this was a private matter, and 

 I had a delicacy about participating in it further. But both gentlemen begged me 

 to keep my seat, and assured me that I was not in the way. 



They then talked about the elections and the crops while they reloaded, and I 

 fell to tying up my wounds. But presently they opened fire again with animation, 

 and every shot took effect — but it is proper to remark that five out of the six fell to 

 my share. The sixth one mortally wounded the Colonel, who remarked, with fine 

 humor, that he would have to say good morning now, as he had business up town. 

 He then inquired the way to the undertaker's and left. 



