"Does Mr. Perkins withdraw his message?" answered Kingsley by

another question.

"He would do so, readily, were there any prospect of adjusting the

matter upon an honorable footing."

"Mr. Carter will be pleased to name the basis for what he esteems

an honorable adjustment."

"Mr. Perkins withdraws his challenge."

"We have no objection to that."

"He substitutes a courteous requisition upon Mr. Clifford for an

explanation of certain language, supposed to be offensive, made to

a lady."

"Mr. Clifford denies, without qualification, the employment of any

such language."

"This throws us back on our old ground," said Carter--"there is a

lady in question--"

"Who can not certainly be brought into the controversy," said

Kingsley--"I see no other remedy, Mr. Carter, but that we should

place the parties. We are here to answer to your final summons."

"Very good, sir; this matter, and what happens, must lie at your

door. You are peremptory. I trust you have provided a surgeon."

"His services are at your need, sir," replied Kingsley with military

courtesy.

"I thank you, sir--my remark had reference to your own necessity.

Shall we toss up for the word?"

These preliminaries were soon adjusted. The word fell to Carter,

and thus gave an advantage to Perkins, as his ear was more familiar

than mine with the accents of his friend. We were placed, and the

pistol put into my hands, without my uttering a sentence.

"Coolly now, my dear fellow," said Kingsley in a whisper, as he

withdrew from my side;--"wing him at least--but don't burn powder

for nothing."

Scarcely the lapse of a moment followed, when I heard the words "one,"

"two," "three," in tolerably rapid succession, and, at the utterance

of the last, I pulled trigger. My antagonist had done so at the

first. His eye was fixed upon mine with deliberate malignity--THAT

I clearly saw--but it did not affect my shot. This, I purposely

threw away. The skill of my enemy did not correspondend (sic) with

his evident desires. I was hurt, but very slightly. His bullet

merely raised the skin upon the fleshy part of my right thigh. We

kept our places while a conference ensued between the two seconds.

Mr. Perkins, through his friend, declared himself unsatisfied

unless I apologized, or--in less unpleasant language--explained.

This demand was answered by Kingsley with cavalier indifference He

came to me with a second pistol. His good-humored visage was now

slightly ruffled.

"Clifford!" said he, as he put the weapon into my hand, "you must

trifle no longer. This fellow abuses your generosity. He knows,

as well as I, that you threw away your fire; and he will play the

same game with you, on the same terms, for a month together, Sundays

not excepted. I am not willing to stand by and see you risk your

life in this manner; and, unless you tell me that you will give

him as good as he sends, I leave you on the spot. Will you take

aim this time?"




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