A FRIENDLY CALL.--PRELIMINARIES OF THE DUEL NEATLY ARRANGED.--A DAMP
JOURNEY, AND DEPRESSED SPIRITS.--A SECLUDED SPOT.--DIFFICULTIES
WHICH ATTEND A DUEL IN A CANADIAN SPRING.--A MASTERLY DECISION.
--DEBATES ABOUT THE NICETIES OF THE CODE OF HONOR.--WHO SHALL HAVE THE
FIRST SHOT, STRUGGLE FOR PRECEDENCE.--A VERY SINGULAR AND OBSTINATE
DISPUTE.--I SAVE O'HALLORAN FROM DEATH BY RHEUMATISM.
Before the close of the day a gentleman called on me from O'Halloran,
whom I referred to Jack, and these two made arrangements for the duel.
It was to take place in a certain locality, which I do not intend to
mention, and which was no matter how many miles out of town.
We left at an early hour, and the doctor accompanied us. Jack had
sufficient foresight to fill the sleigh with all the refreshments that
might be needed on such an occasion. We drove to O'Halloran's house,
where we found his sleigh waiting, with himself and a friend all ready
to start. They led the way, and we followed.
It was a nasty time, the roads were terrible. They were neither one
thing nor the other. There was nothing but a general mixture of ice
heaps, slush, thawing snowdrifts, bare ground, and soft mud. Over this
our progress was extremely slow. Added to this, the weather was
abominable. It was warm, soft, slimy, and muggy. The atmosphere had
changed into a universal drizzle, and was close and oppressive. At
first O'Halloran's face was often turned back to hail us with some
jovial remark, to which we responded in a similar manner; but after a
time silence settled on the party, and the closeness, and the damp, and
the slow progress, reduced us one and all to a general state of
sulkiness.
At length we came to a little settlement consisting of a half-dozen
houses, one of which bore a sign on which we read the words _Hôtel de
France_. We kept on without stopping, and O'Halloran soon turned to the
right, into a narrow track which went into the woods. In about half an
hour we reached our destination. The sleighs drew up, and their
occupants prepared for business.
It was a small cleared space in the middle of the woods. The
forest-trees arose all around, dim, gloomy, and dripping. The ground
was dotted with decayed stumps, and covered with snow in a state of
semi-liquefaction. Beneath all was wet; around all was wet; and above
all was wet. The place with its surroundings was certainly the most
dismal that I had ever seen, and the dank, dark, and dripping trees
threw an additional gloom about it.
We had left Quebec before seven. It was after twelve when we reached
this place.
"Well, me boy," said O'Halloran to me, with a gentle smile, "it's an
onsaisonable toime of year for a jool, but it can't be helped--an' it's
a moighty uncomfortable pleece, so it is."
"We might have had it out in the road in a quiet way," said I, "without
the trouble of coming here."
"The road!" exclaimed O'Halloran. "Be the powers, I'd have been
deloighted to have had it in me oun parrulor. But what can we do? Sure
it's the barbarous legisleetin of this counthry, that throis to stoifle
and raypriss the sintimints of honor, and the code of chivalry. Sure
it's a bad pleece intoirely. But you ought to see it in the summer.
It's the most sayquisthered localeetee that ye could wish to see."
Saying this, O'Halloran turned to his friend and then to us.
"Gintlemin," said he, "allow me to inthrojuice to ye me very particular
friend, Mr. Murtagh McGinty."
Mr. Murtagh McGinty rose and bowed, while we did the same, and
disclosed the form of a tall, elderly, and rather dilapidated Irishman.
All this time we had remained in our sleighs. The surrounding scene had
impressed us all very forcibly, and there was a general disinclination
to get out. The expanse of snow, in its half-melted condition, was
enough to deter any reasonable being. To get out was to plunge into an
abyss of freezing slush.
A long discussion followed as to what ought to be done. Jack suggested
trying the road; McGinty thought we might drive on farther. The doctor
did not say any thing. At last O'Halloran solved the difficulty.
He proposed that we should all remain in the sleighs, and that we
should make a circuit so as to bring the backs of the sleighs at the
requisite distance from one another.
It was a brilliant suggestion; and no sooner was it made, than it was
adopted by all. So the horses were started, and the sleighs were turned
in the deep slush until their backs were presented to one another. To
settle the exact distance was a matter of some difficulty, and it had
to be decided by the seconds. Jack and McGinty soon got into an
altercation, in which Jack appealed to the light of reason, and McGinty
to a past that was full of experience. He overwhelmed Jack with so many
precedents for his view of the case, that at last the latter was
compelled to yield. Then we drove forward, and then backward; now we
were too far away, again we were too near, and there didn't appear to
be any prospect of a settlement.
At last O'Halloran suggested that we should back the sleighs toward one
another till they touched, and then his sleigh would move forward
twelve paces.
"But who's to pace them?" asked Jack.
"Why the horse, of course," said O'Halloran. "Sure it's a regular pacer
he is, and bred up to it, so he is."
To this Jack had nothing to say.
So the horses backed and the sleighs touched one another.
"Wait a minute McGinty, me boy," said O'Halloran--putting his hand on
his friend's arm--"let's all take somethin' warrum. Me system is slowly
conjaylin, an' such a steete of things is moighty onwholeaome."
This proposition was received with the same unanimity which had greeted
O'Halloran's other propositions. Flasks were brought out; and some
minutes were passed in a general, a couvivial, and a very affectionate
interchange of courtesies.
"Me boy," said O'Halloran to me, affectionately, "ye haven't had so
much ixpayrieence as I have, so I'll teek the liberty to give ye a
small bit of instherruction. Whin ye foire, eem low! Moind that, now
--ye'll be sure to hit."
"Thank you," said I.
He wrung my hand heartily; and then motioning to McGinty, his sleigh
started off, and advanced a few paces from ours, a little farther than
the usual distance on such an occasion. With this he seemed to be
satisfied, and, as nobody made any objection, we prepared for the
business of the day.
O'Halloran and I stood up in the sleighs, while the seconds kept their
seats. Jack and the doctor sat in the front seat of our sleigh. McGinty
sat beside O'Halloran as he stood up. I stood in the after-seat of our
sleigh.
"Shall I give the word?" said Jack.
"No," said McGinty. "I've had more exparience. I've been sicond at
elivin jools--an' hope to assist an as minny more."
"Shure we won't throuble ayiher of ye," said O'Halloran. "It's me
that's fought more jools than you've been sicond at. Me friend Macrorie
and I'll manage it to shoot oursilves--so we will."
"Ye can't give the word yersilves," said McGinty.
"An' what do we want of a word, thin?" said O'Halloran.
"To foire by," said McGinty.
"There's a peculeeareetee," said O'Halloran, loftily, "in the prisint
occeesion that obveeates the nicissitee of such prosaydings, and
inables us to dispinse with any worrd of command. Macrorie, me boy
--frind of me sowl--I addhriss you as the Oirish addhrissed the English
at Fontenoy: '_Fire first!_'"
And saying this, O'Halloran bowed and then stood erect, facing me with
a grave countenance.
"Fire first?" said I "Indeed, Mr. O'Halloran, I'll do nothing of the
kind."
"Indade and you shall," said he, with a laugh. "I insist upon it!"
"Well, if it comes to that," said I, "what's to prevent me from
insisting that you shall fire the first shot?"
"Shure and ye wouldn't dayproive me of the plisure of giving you the
prasaydince," said he.
"Then, really," said I, "you will force me to insist upon your having
the precedence. You're an older man than I am, and ought to have the
first place. So, Mr. O'Halloran--fire first!"
"Thank you," said he, with a bow, "but really, me boy, you must excuse
me if I insist upon it."
"Oh, no," said I. "If it were any other occasion, I would cheerfully
give you the precedence, and so I give it to you here."
"But, you see," said O'Halloran, "you must considher me in the loight
of an intertainer. Ye're my guest to a certain ixtint. I must give up
all the honors to you. So foire awee, me boy, and eem low."
"No," said I, "I really couldn't think of it."
This friendly altercation went on for some time, while the others sat
listening in amazement.
McGinty was the first to interrupt.
"It's in defoiuce of all the joolin code," said he, starting up. "I
must inter my protest."
"So say I," cried Jack. "I say let the usual word be given--or else if
one must have the first shot, let them draw for it."
O'Halloran looked upon them both with a smile of benevolent pity.
"McGinty," said he.
"Well."
"Ye know me?"
"Sure an' I do."
"And how many jools I've fought?"
"Meself does."
"Am I a choild at it? Will ye be koind enough to mintion any one that
has any cleem to considher himself the shupayrior of Phaylim O'Halloran
in the noiceties and the dilicacies of the jooling code? Will ye be so
good as to infarrum me what there is lift for me to lerrun?"
At this appeal Mr. Murtagh McGinty subsided into silence, and sat down
again, shaking his head.
Jack still insisted that the word of command should be given; but
O'Halloran silenced him effectually by asking him if he had ever fought
a duel.
"No," said Jack.
"Have ye ivir been second at one before?"
"No," said Jack, again.
"So this is your first time out?"
"Yes," said Jack, who looked deeply humiliated.
"Will, thin," said O'Halloran, loftily, "allow me to infarrum you, sir,
that this is the thirty-seventh toime that I've had the plisure of
taking part in a jool, ayther as principal or sicond."
Whereupon Jack was suppressed.
In all this the doctor took no part He looked cold, wet, uncomfortable,
and unhappy.
And now O'Halloran turned to me again.
"Me boy," said he, "if ye'll not grant me this as a feevor, I'll cleem
it as a roight."
"A right?" said I.
"Yis," said O'Halloran, solemnly, "a roight!"
"I don't know what you mean," I said, in some perplexity.
"I'll expleen. I'm undher a debt of obleegeetion to you that I nivir
can repee. Ye've seeved the loife of me daughter, me choild, me Marion
--that's one debt--then ye've seeved my loife, me own. But for you, I'd
have been tarrun in payces by a howling mob, so I would. Me oun loife
is yours. Jewty, and the cleems of gratichood, and the code of honor,
all inspoire me with a desoire to meek some rayturrun for what ye've
done for me.
"On the other hand," he continued, "ye've made a misteek of an
onplisint nature about Mrs. O'H. Ye didn't main any harrum; but the
dade's done, and there it is. It necissitates a jool. We must feece one
another to satisfy offindid honor. But at the seem toime, while this
jool is thus necissiteeted be the code of honor, jewty and gratichood
must be considhered. It's a moighty noice case," he continued,
meditatively, "and I don't think such a case ivir came within my
ixpayrience; but that ixtinsive ixpayrience which I've had rinders me
the best judge of what may be the most shootable course on the prisint
occasion. But the ulteemeete tindincy of all me mideeteetions on the
subjict is this--that I must allow you to fire the first shot."
"Well," said I, "if you insist on looking at it in that light, and if
you persist in feeling obligation, that sense of obligation ought to
make you yield to my wishes, and, if I don't want to fire first, you
ought not to insist upon it."
"No, me boy," said O'Halloran; "that's all oidle casuisthree an' imply
mitaphysics. There's no process of ratiosheeneetion that'll be iver
eeble to overturrun the sintimints of jewty and dilicacy that spring
spontaneous in the brist. So blaze away."
"Excuse me, but I insist on your firing first."
"Be the powers, thin! and I insist on your taking the lade."
"Pardon me, but you must."
"I'm inkeepeble of such a lack, of common cevileetee," said he. "I must
still insist."
"And so must I."
This singular and very original altercation went on for some time. At
last O'Halloran took the cushions off the seat, and deliberately sat
down, facing me, with his legs dangling over the back of the sleigh.
Seeing that our argument was to be continued for some time, and that he
was thus making himself comfortable, I did the same. We thus sat facing
one another.
The seconds here again interposed, but were again baffled by
O'Halloran, who explained the whole situation to them in so forcible a
manner that they did not know how to answer him. For my part, I was
firm in my resolve, and was not going to fire unless we both fired
together. True, I might have fired in the air; but I knew O'Halloran so
well by this time that I was convinced, if I did such a thing, he would
reproach me for it, and insist on my firing again. And in that case it
would all have to be commenced afresh.
So there we sat, with our legs dangling over the backs of our
respective sleighs, facing one another, pistol in hand, and
occasionally renewing the discussion. He was obstinate, I was equally
so, and the time began to pass away, and the situation gradually grew
more and more tedious to our companions. Still they could not say any
thing. It was a punctilio of honor which they could not argue down,
and behind all the argument which might be used there arose the very
impressive accumulation of O'Halloran's past experience in the field of
honor. So all that they could do was to make the best of the situation.
The situation! It was, at best, a dismal one. Overhead was a leaden
sky; underneath, the thawing snow, which every hour assumed a more
watery appearance; in the distance arose the dreary, gloomy, melancholy
forest-trees; while all around was a thin, fine drizzle, which
enveloped us, saturating and soaking us with watery vapor. We all
became limp and bedraggled, in soul as well as body. The most
determined buoyancy of spirit could not withstand the influence of that
drizzle, and, one by one, we all sank beneath it.
But not without a struggle. For, at first, as O'Halloran and I thus sat
facing one another, we did not forget the ordinary civilities of life,
nor were we satisfied with sitting and staring at one another. On the
contrary, we sought to beguile the time with an interchange of courtesy
on both sides. I took my flask and drank to the health of O'Halloran.
O'Halloran responded. The seconds followed. Then O'Halloran drank
to the health of Jack and the doctor. Then I drank to the health of
McGinty. Then Jack and the doctor drank to the health of O'Halloran,
and McGinty pledged me.
Two hours passed, and found each of us sitting there in the same
position. Jack and the doctor made a doleful attempt at a game of
euchre, but soon gave it up. McGinty sat refreshing himself with his
flask, defying the weather, laughing, joking, and singing. Then we all
smoked. From time to time the seconds would make fresh efforts to shake
our resolve. They proposed once more that we should toss up for it, or
drive home now, and come out again--in fact, any thing rather than sit
here amid this cold, and drizzle, and wet, and dismal gloom, and
miserable, rheumatic atmosphere. But all these proposals were declined,
and O'Halloran was immovable in his purpose; while I, on the other
hand, was equally resolved that I would not fire first.
Thus time passed, and neither of us would yield. At length, the doctor
settled himself down into the bottom of the sleigh, and drew the
buffalo-robes over him. After a final expostulation, accompanied with a
threat to drive off, Jack imitated his example. McGinty, seeing this,
proceeded to make himself comfortable in the same way. The poor horses
had the worst time of it. The cold snow was up to their knees; and, as
they stood there, they moved uneasily, tramping it down, till a pool of
icy water lay beneath, in which they had to stand. I mentioned this to
O'Halloran; but he only turned it against me, and made use of it as a
fresh argument to shake my decision.
At last I saw that O'Halloran's face and attitude had undergone a
change. For my part, I was wet to the skin, and chilled to my very
bones; but I was young and strong, and could stand even that. With
O'Halloran, however, it was different. A man of sixty cannot sit with
impunity, inactive, and exposed to a cold, slimy drizzle, such as this
was, without feeling very serious effects, and anticipating worse. This
he soon experienced. I saw his figure crouching down, and an expression
of pain coming over his face. In the midst of his pain he still
maintained his punctilious resolution; but how much did that cost him!
It was his own fault, of course. It was all brought on by his
impracticability, his whimsicality, his eccentricity, and his
punctiliousness. Nevertheless, there was in him that which excited my
deepest commiseration. The wretchedness and the pain of his face, and
the suffering which was visible in his attitude, all touched me. He sat
crouched down, shivering, shuddering, his teeth chattering, and
presented a deplorable picture of one who struggled vainly against an
overmastering pain.
My resolution was shaken by this. I rose to my feet.
"Mr. O'Halloran," said I, "pardon me. I see that I am subjecting you to
very great suffering. If you sit there any longer, exposed to this
damp, you'll never get over it. It would be but poor courtesy to
subject you to that any longer. And so I don't see what better I can do
than allow you to have your own way. I'll have to give up my scruples,
I suppose. I can't sit here any longer, and see you suffer. And so
--here goes!--I'm willing to fire as you wish."
At this O'Halloran rose to his feet with a cry of joy.
"The first shot!" he exclaimed.
"Yes," said I, "the first. I'll fire, if you insist on it."
"And that's just what I do," said he, shivering.
At this I took aim.
Bang! went the shot. I afterward found that it passed through his hat.
O'Halloran now raised his pistol, and levelled it at me. But the
pleasure of his triumph had excited him; and, besides, he was shivering
from head to foot, and his teeth were chattering. An accurate aim was
impossible. His hand could scarcely hold the pistol, and his benumbed
finger could scarcely pull the trigger. He fired, and the bullet passed
through the sleeve of my coat, and close to the doctor's head.
"Me boy," he cried, flinging down the pistol, "there's no ind to the
obleegeetions you put me under! I owe ye me loife a second toime. Ye've
seeved me from death by fraizing."