HAPPY END OF A DUEL
--------
HOW A DEADLY INSULT WAS PAID
WITHOUT LOSS OF BLOOD.
--------
Two Captains of the Same Begiment At-
tempt to settle a Score That Lingered
from Their West Point Days--- Of Course
a Lady Was the Cause.
An emblematic button of the Loyal
Legion adorned the lapel of a cheviot
coat worn by Mnj. Oscar Bell at the
Albany.
" A story eh?" lauged the ex-army
officer, as he detached his eyeglasses from
the bridge of his (word?) and looked in a
good natured way at the expectant re-
porter seated beside him.
"Well, lemme see. The smoke of
Shiloh is a chestunt now. and the battle
of the Wilderness probably has been
(word?) from futher interst by a pro-
fuse growth of weeds. By Jovel! I can
give you a little incident that has never
been in type. It happened in 1863, when
our regiment was in camp at a little
Missouri twon called Lexington. I wore
a captain's straps at that time and did
the shouting for Company B.
" The captain of Company D was named
Henry Poor. Unknown to me he detested
me. and all becouse I once made a pun
on his name while at West Point. Being
a young man of stringent means he was
mortally offended. but later seemed to
have overlooked an unintentional sally
of wit that I got off at his expense among
a group of fellow eadets.
Well, when we got our commissions
the loaded dice of fate threw us both in
the same regiment. and when the war
broke out we went to the front under the
same colonel. As I said before, our regi-
ment camped at Lexington, Mo., near
Kansas City, or Westport, as it was
known in those days. Among the events
that transpired during the two weeks of
our sojourn was a grand ball, given at
the residence of a loyal northern women,
for Lexington, although a Missouri town.
had great respect for the Confederate
colors, and a great many of its citizens
heartily sympathized with the southern
cause. At the ball serverl of the officers
of our regiment were invited--- Poor and
myself included.
THE CHALLENGE.
" During the evening I placed my name
on the programme of one of the Lexing-
ton belles, but when I called for the
dance I was horrified at the discovery
that my name had been deliberately
erased and that of Poor substituted, evi-
dently by himself. When Poor and the
young lady started off amid the seductive
stranis of the orcherstra my blood fairly
boiled with indignation. Later in the
evening I oaught Capt. Poor in the gen-
tlemens dressing room alone. I slapped
him roughly in the face, and told him
just what i though of him. He did not
resent it there, but the next day I re-
ceived a challenge from him to fight a
duel.
" I had never fought a duel, and I hesi-
tated some time, but rather than be ac-
cused of cowardice I consented. The
matter was placed in the hands of
friends, and one bright moonlight night
five dark figures snenked out the camp
and into a neighboring wood. The fifth
figure was that of a doctor of Lexington,
who had been let into the secret and con-
sented to act in consideration of a big
fee for his services. To every appear-
ance the duel was to be a tragic one, al-
though I thought at one time I detected
a slight smirk in the feattures of the sec-
onds, who were mutual friends of the
determined principlas.
" Measure off ten paces, commanded
the doctor as he wiped a tiny stream of
Missouri nicotine from his chin whiskers.
The doctor was to act as a master of cere-
monies. The space was measured.
" Bring on the weapons, " was the
next command. The seconds brought
forth an ominous looking bundle care-
fully wrapped up in oilcloth. Capt. Poor
shuddered. I was equally nervous. Ugh!
the weapons were evidently wicked sa-
bers, and it could be a duel froth which
neither principal would emerge alive,
We took our places ten paces apart and
stood glaring at each other, patiently
waiting for the supposed swords to be
placed in our hands ready to pierce each
others's heart.
THE RESULT.
" 'Gentlemen, here are the weapons,'
exclaimed the doctor as two large base-
ball bats rolled out of the oilcloth. He
advanced and placed one in the hands of
each principal. ' Mind, gentlemen, you
are not to violate the rule to keep ten
pace apart. Are you ready?
" Capt, Poor and I gazed at each other.
The seconds were doubled up on the
ground in the conyulsions of laugher. Even
the doctor smiled, and to cap the climax
a silvery laugh from a woman's lips
broke the stillness of the air as the fair
cause of the duel strode on the duel-
ing ground with eyes sparkling with
mirth.
" ' Do be sensible, gentlemen, and
shake hands, said she. " There is going
to be another party next Tuesday even-
ing, and I will divide my programe of
waltzes with you both if you do.'
" I looked at Poor, and we met half
way and shook hands. The ludicrous
contemplation of a duel with baseball
bats at a distance of ten paces was too
much for us. We laughed heartily after
casting a reproachful glance at the mis-
chievous seconds who put the job up on
us."
At this juncture there was a rustle of
satin near the hotel elevator, and the
major arese in response to a signal from
a well preserved lady. As he left the
reporter he said, with a sly wink of his
left eye, " I got that young lady for life,
though, and Poor is up in the Sioux
country now, and still a bachelor. " With
these parting words he disappeared into
the dining room with the wife of his ro-
mance--- Denver Republican.
