“I was in my office early the next morning after I had the difficulty
with Harry. I had passed a sleepless night--a miserable, wretched night,
and was nervous and irritable when I arrived there. I had not been at
the office five minutes when a little negro boy came hurriedly in and
handed me a letter. I saw in an instant it was from Lottie; I broke the
envelope and read it eagerly:
“‘DEAR EDDIE--For Heaven’s sake, keep out of Harry’s way to-day! He
is crazy with passion--refuses to listen to reason. I have never
known him to exhibit such ungovernable rage before. He makes the
most horrible charges against you, and swears he will kill you.
What on earth does it all mean? Poor boy! he did not sleep a wink
last night, but walked the floor all the time, muttering curses
against you. There is some awful secret at the bottom of it
all--some strange mystery. I fear some scheming enemy of yours has
been planning your destruction. By all means avoid a meeting with
Harry until the matter can be investigated. I was on my knees the
live-long night, praying for you and my poor brother. My reliance
is on God, and let me beg you to trust in Him, too. He will clear
the dark clouds from our sky, if we put our faith in Him. Harry is
so different from what he used to be--so completely metamorphosed.
He used to be so gentle, so kind, always grieving for others’
troubles, never thinking of himself--so devoted to you--so loving
to me; but, alas! what is he now? All passion--terrible
passion--gloomy, irritable, suspicious, jealous and querulous; and,
poor boy, I am afraid he is losing his reason. I thought I was
brave--I imagined no misfortune could overcome me, but this blow
has been too heavy for me; this awful suspense is more than I can
bear. If you see stains on this sheet of paper, you know what made
them. My eyes have not been dry since the sad occurrences of
yesterday. They have been trying to make me believe my darling is
untrue to me, but they never can do that--I am not a bit jealous--I
think I know all the goodness of his noble heart, and I never shall
believe that he would deceive me. But I must close now, for my time
is limited. Again I beseech you not to meet Harry to-day. Your
true, faithful
“‘LOTTIE.’
“I had scarcely finished reading Lottie’s letter when Mr. Heartsell
walked into the office and, without speaking, handed me a note from
Harry. If a bolt of thunder had knocked the roof off of the house over
my head, it would have startled me less than the contents of the note;
but I have it here now, and will read it to you,
“‘DOCTOR EDWARD DEMAR:
“‘SIR--Circumstances not necessary for me to mention have rendered
it expedient for me to inform you that you and I can no longer live
in the same city. I will go further, and inform you that the time
has come when you must answer for your dishonorable conduct. If you
have any sense of honor left, you will readily accord to me the
only satisfaction that I require. To be plain, I DEMAND that you
name a time and place, without the limits of the State, when and
where we can settle the matters of difference between us. My
friend, Heartsell, is authorized to arrange preliminaries with you,
or any friend you may choose to represent you.
“‘Respectfully,
“‘H. WALLINGFORD.’
“‘Mr. Heartsell,’ said I endeavoring to keep control of my feelings, ‘am
I to understand this as a challenge to fight a duel?’
“‘The language used is very plain, sir, and such was the intention of my
friend when he wrote it.’
“‘But I am opposed to the barbarous practice of dueling. The laws of the
land prohibit it, public sentiment condemns it, and if I were not
opposed to dueling, I could not fight Harry Wallingford. I would not
hurt him for everything in the world; and why should he wish to take my
life? I never injured him--I love his sister--she is my betrothed bride;
and I would as soon think of killing myself as him.’
“‘That, sir, is a matter with which I have nothing to do; but you are
mistaken when you say that public sentiment condemns the code of honor.
I think the very reverse of that is true; because it is considered
disgraceful to back down when challenged. The man who refuses to fight
when challenged is branded as a coward, and honorable men shun him as
such. Did public sentiment condemn Henry Clay, S. S. Prentiss, Albert S.
Johnson, General Jackson and a thousand others I might name?’
“‘Yes, but public sentiment has undergone a great change since then; and
our laws did not prohibit dueling then either.’
“‘Doctor Demar, can you name any one who has ever been punished for
fighting a duel?’
“‘I am sorry to be compelled to answer in the negative.’
“‘I dare say you will admit that the reason is owing to public
sentiment; but to the point--what answer do you wish me to convey to my
friend Wallingford?’
“‘Give me one hour to consider on the matter, and to take the advice of
my friends.’
“‘Certainly; but it will be considered dishonorable to mention the
matter to more than one friend; and were you to do so, it might cause
the civil authorities to get hold of the affair, which you know would
serve to widen the breach between you and my friend Wallingford.’
“‘Mr. Heartsell, do you know what has caused Harry Wallingford to become
offended with me?’
“‘Oh, yes, Doctor Demar; your little secret is out, and you must face
the music.’
“‘What do you mean by my little secret being out?’
“‘Pshaw! Demar, don’t undertake to brass it out that way, but never
mind, I’ll call again at the end of an hour and get your answer. By the
way, Demar, you had better accept the challenge, as that might be the
shortest road to an adjustment of this business; because if you refuse
to meet Wallingford on the field, he will force you to fight him on the
streets. If you consent to meet him, a few rounds may satisfy him, when
the matter could be settled; but if you decline, I dread to think of the
consequences. You know his fiery temper as well as I do; he is very rash
and inconsiderate, and is very much enraged against you. Think of these
things when you are considering the proper answer to be sent. For the
present, good-morning; I’ll call again for your answer.’
“For full ten minutes I sat silently gazing at space, and pondering over
the situation, perfectly at a loss as to what course would be best for
me to pursue. One thing I had made up my mind that I never would, under
any consideration, draw one drop of Harry Wallingford’s blood. I never
would point a loaded pistol at his body--I would as soon think of
shooting out my own brains as his. But I knew that something must be
done, and that without delay. Who should I go to for advice was the next
question to be considered. I first thought of Doctor Dodson; but he was
getting old, and was by nature very excitable; I decided that it was
best not to mention the matter to him. At last I concluded to submit the
matter to General Calloway, a personal friend who had done many acts of
kindness for me during my boyhood. I knew he was brave and noble-hearted
and had often succeeded in settling affairs of honor without letting the
parties resort to arms. General Calloway was a man whose opinions were
respected by the community, and he was personally popular with every one
who knew him; I was sure that if any one could bring about a
reconciliation between Harry and me, he was the man to do it. So I went
directly to his quarters and stated the case to him and requested him to
assist me.
“‘Let it be understood at the start, general,’ said I, ‘that I will,
under no circumstances, shoot at Harry Wallingford; but if you think it
best for me to stand up and let him shoot me, I will do it. No man knows
whether he is a coward or not until he is tried; but I am vain enough to
believe that I can stand up and let him shoot at me, if the matter
cannot be adjusted without it.’
“‘What is the cause of the trouble between you and Wallingford?’ the
general inquired.
“‘I have not the most remote idea; and the strangest part of the matter
is, they refuse to tell me. If I have given cause for offense, I am
ignorant of it; but Wallingford is so overmastered with passion that he
will not listen to one who demands any explanation.’
“‘Very well, Demar,’ said the general, ‘leave the matter in my hands,
and I’ll settle it without resort to arms. Meantime you go across the
State line into Mississippi, and take lodgings near Horn Lake, on the
line of the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad. You had better go down
there this evening, and I will answer Wallingford’s note, in which I
shall promise him a meeting to-morrow morning at ten o’clock. I have
always found it much easier to bring about an amicable settlement of
such cases on the field than in the city; and I never yet have failed to
secure an adjustment, where either one of the parties desired it. But
when both parties mount their high horses, then we encounter trouble. We
will make Mr. Wallingford listen to reason; we will first demand of him
a full statement of the grievances of which he complains, and then we
will know how to start about making a settlement. Sit down a moment;
I’ll write the answer to be sent.’
“‘I took a seat until General Galloway wrote the following:
“‘HARRY WALLINGFORD:
“‘DEAR SIR--Your note of this date, demanding of me the designation
of a time and place without the limits of this State, for the
purpose of discussing certain matters of difference between us, was
handed to me by Mr. Heartsell. I have the honor, in reply, to name
Horn Lake, Mississippi, as the place, and ten o’clock to-morrow
morning as the time; which, I hope, will suit your convenience. Any
other preliminaries which you may desire to have arranged may be
done on the part of my friend, General Calloway.
“‘Very respectfully,
“‘EDWARD DEMAR.’
“‘Now, Demar, you go to the livery stable, get a horse and buggy, and go
to Horn Lake to-night. Don’t lodge in the town, nor don’t let any one
know your business; in fact, you had better conceal yourself in the
country near the village. I will come down early in the morning, when I
feel confident we shall have no difficulty in securing a reconciliation
between you and Wallingford.’
“As soon as I reached my office I wrote a long letter to Lottie; and
when it was finished I sealed and directed it to her, then gave it to
our drug-store clerk, and ordered him to give it to Lottie at eight
o’clock on the next evening--provided I did not return by that time.
“‘Mr. Todd,’ said I, as I handed the letter to him, ‘I am going on a
short journey, and hope to be back to-morrow evening. If, however, I do
not return by eight o’clock, you will deliver this letter to Miss
Wallingford with your own hands. You will, under no circumstances, trust
it out of your possession, but carry it to her yourself.’
“He stared at me in a suspicious manner for several seconds, and then
said:
“‘Doctor, if any one inquires for you what answer shall I make?’
“‘Oh, anything you choose, as to that. I suppose no one will care to
know where I have gone, so they are told when I will return.’
“I then went toward the livery stable, intending to hire a conveyance to
take me to Horn Lake, but met one of the railroad employes, who told me
that a freight train was going out soon, and I hastened to the depot in
time to jump on it as it was moving out. When the train stopped at Horn
Lake I stepped off and immediately started to walk rapidly southward. I
obtained lodgings for the night at a farm-house about a mile from the
village, intending to meet General Calloway, early next morning,
according to previous agreement. But Providence had in store for me a
different fate, as you shall shortly know.
“It was nearly night when I arrived at the farm-house, and after resting
a few moments I took a stroll through a patch of timbered land that lay
near the house. I felt that I wanted to be alone, in order to have a
reckoning with myself, and to sum up probabilities in regard to the
future. I wandered along through the woods, not thinking where I was
going or anything about the objects by which I was surrounded, until I
found myself on the shore of a beautiful lake. Seating myself at the
root of a tree, I took Lottie’s picture from my bosom, covered it with
kisses and bedewed it with my bitter tears. As I held the darling
picture before my tearful eyes, the question whether or not I should
ever see her again presented itself to my mind. Would I be forced to
fight the duel with Harry on the morrow? Would I be killed and carried
back a corpse? These unwelcome queries intruded themselves unbidden on
my mind. I will not admit that I was a coward, yet I did not want to die
then--I had too much to live for. The scenery by which I was surrounded
was surpassingly charming; the smooth, quiet bosom of the lake spread
its shining surface before me, and as the slanting rays of the departing
sun danced on the still waters, a thousand streaks of variegated lights
were reflected against the wall of trees that lined the shore. My eyes
were dazzled by the bright beauty of the scene. Large flocks of wild
ducks lazily swam about on the calm surface of the water, frequently
coming within a rod of where I sat, while thousands of beautiful
silver-colored fishes came in droves and began to poke their heads up to
the top of the water near me. Great numbers of sweet-singing birds
collected on the trees above me, and filled all the air around with a
delicious melody. All nature seemed to be making an effort to show me
the beauties of the world that I was about to leave forever. She
appeared to be arrayed in her richest costume, and soliciting me not to
leave her. Why will man be so cruel to his fellow man as to try to push
him out of such a beautiful world? Why can we not live as brothers and
enjoy the charms of nature, instead of striving to destroy each other?
What a happy world would this be if every man would live by the golden
rule, ‘Do unto others as you would have others do unto you!’
Penitentiaries and jails would be unknown; locks and keys would be
unnecessary; implements of war would not be manufactured; forts and
arsenals would not be built; poorhouses and poverty would be unknown;
police officers would be unnecessary, and court-houses would be
converted into school-houses; happiness would take the place of misery,
plenty would change places with want, and all the world rejoice in the
unending millennium. With my mind full of such reflections, I felt
humbled in my own estimation, and dropped on my knees, and, for the
first time in my life, prayed aloud to God for help in this hour of
great trouble. I prayed long and fervently, and whether God answered
that prayer or not I shall not undertake to say just now, but leave my
kind friends to determine that for themselves after my little story is
ended.
“It was some time after dark when I returned to the house and found
supper waiting for me; but I declined to eat any--I excused myself, and
requested to be shown to a private room. A clean-looking bed stood in
one corner, a wash-stand, bureau, and two chairs, constituted the
furniture. There were two windows--one in the east side, the other in
the south--both covered with clean, snow-white curtains, nicely looped
up from the middle. A mocking-bird sat on a tree near the south window,
and seemed to be exerting himself to amuse me. I like mocking-birds; but
this one was hoarse, and singing out of tune; a half dozen cats were
holding a meeting on top of the smoke-house. I might have enjoyed the
concert under more favorable circumstances, but the state of my nervous
system was such as to deprive me of the pleasure. I needed sleep, and
knew that it was my duty to endeavor to get it, so as to enable me to
master the situation in which I was placed. The events that were to
transpire on the next day were fraught with no little significance, so
far as they might result to myself. I threw off my clothes and stretched
myself on the bed, first extinguishing the light, and tried to keep my
thoughts away from the cat show; but that was a failure. I stood it as
long as any man could have done, and would have submitted to the torture
perhaps longer, but for my nervousness. I threw a glass tumbler with
unerring precision--one cat went to his long home, and the concert
closed. But alas! I soon made the discovery that I had jumped out of
the frying-pan into the fire. The caterwauling melody was sweet music
compared with the noise made by the frogs in a pond hard by. I am
willing to admit that I had always been of the opinion that a
congregation of cats could make the most soul-scraping noise that ever
was heard; but that night I had cause to change my opinion--I award the
premium to the frog; he can beat a cat to death and give him an hour’s
start; a cat has to stop occasionally to fill his lungs--but not so with
the frog; he seems to be all the time full of wind; at all events, no
man ever heard a frog stop for breath when once he made up his mind not
to do it. The frog pond was not more than fifty yards from my window. I
don’t know exactly how many there were in that pond, though it must have
been very densely populated, judging from the great noise they made. If
frogs were worth a dollar a head, I am confident that there were enough
in that pond to pay the national debt, not counting the old ones that
had retired from business. I lay and listened to the frogs until my eyes
began to feel heavy; and just as I was about to fall asleep in spite of
the frog convention, a mosquito concluded to make his supper off of my
nose. Sometimes I would actually get into a comfortable doze, when he
would light and begin to put his pumps to work and wake me. I would
drive him away, but he would not take the hint. In order to get rid of
him, I offered a fair compromise: I was willing that he might pump as
much blood out of my feet as he could chamber, and taking them from
under the cover, I held them out to him; but he rejected my liberal
offer with scorn, and seemed to have made up his mind to fight it out on
the nose line; the result was, after a half hour’s contest I killed him,
and then I soon fell asleep. It was but natural to suppose that my
slumbers would be disturbed by unpleasant dreams. How could anything
else be expected, harassed as my mind was with such unpleasant
reflections? I dreamed of war, blood, duels, and a thousand other things
too tedious to mention; but I must tell you of two of my dreams: I first
fancied that I was a young tadpole, swimming about in the pond among the
frogs. I was very proud of my beautiful tail, and imagined that all the
frogs were dying with envy because they had lost theirs. It never had
occurred to me that at no distant day I should lose my tail, and be
reduced to an equality with the frogs. I was dashing about among the
frogs, and switching my tail in their faces in a very rude manner. The
fact is, I was tantalizing them for being out of fashion. I had the
misfortune to incur the displeasure of a celebrated frog who was famous
for his courage, and who possessed an ungovernable temper. I trust that
my friends will not be disposed to censure me for describing such a
ridiculous dream, but I am telling exactly what did occur, and not what
ought to have occurred. In the first place, it will be well to remember
the circumstances by which I was surrounded. I was about to be forced
into a duel with a man against whom I bore no ill-will, and whom I was
determined not to hurt. Then I was full of perplexity, because I did not
know the cause which had induced him to challenge me. While my mind was
completely unsettled by these unpleasant reflections, I was trying to
steal a little sleep, in order that I might be in a condition to wrestle
with the situation on the next day. Then it was a natural consequence
that I should dream of duels, Tom-cats, and frogs, especially when it is
remembered that the cats and frogs had conspired to keep me awake, and
when in spite of them I did fall asleep.
“But let me go on with my strange dream. When I had been so
inconsiderate as to flirt my tail against the nose of the high-tempered
frog, I discovered, when it was too late, that I had involved myself in
a serious difficulty; and hoping to escape the consequences, I sought
refuge behind an old rotten log that lay in the edge of the pond. I was
very much alarmed when I saw a large number of frogs collecting round
the one whose nose I had so imprudently slapped with my tail. A little
timid tadpole swam up close to me, and very meekly informed me that I
was in great danger, as I had insulted the most important frog in the
pond. I was very much disturbed by this information, and was preparing
an apology to be sent when I received a message from the insulted frog.
To the best of my recollection it was, in substance, as follows:
“‘General Frog presents his compliments to Colonel Tadpole, and begs to
say that while bathing in his own precinct a gross insult was offered
him by Colonel Tadpole, who wantonly flirted his tail in General Frog’s
face. General Frog, therefore, has the honor to request Colonel Tadpole
to designate a time and place when and where such satisfaction can be
had as is recognized by the code. General Frog designates the bearer of
this message as his friend, who is authorized to arrange preliminaries.’
“I am free to confess that I was completely paralyzed with fear when I
received this message, and would have made an honorable apology, but the
bearer refused to listen to reason. He demanded blood, and swore that if
I refused to fight I was a dead Tadpole certain. I was about to faint
from sheer cowardice when a bold young Tadpole whispered in my ear:
“‘Put on a bold front,’ said he; ‘General Frog is a humbug and a bully.
Accept his challenge, make him fight with sticks six inches long and a
half inch in diameter; let the sticks be sharpened at one end. A frog
always has his mouth open, and you can run your stick down his throat
and kill him while he is trying to get a fair lick at your head.’
“I acted on this advice, and being the challenged party, had the right
to choose the weapon. Quite a commotion was caused when it became known
that a duel was to be fought between General Frog and Colonel Tadpole.
“The weapons were prepared, the space in the water was measured, and
ominous silence pervaded the pond (a thing that had never happened
before); we were placed eighteen inches apart, and when we were ordered
to take our places, I could see plainly that public sentiment was
against me among the frogs, but every tadpole in the pond was on my
side. When the word was given, I made a dash forward and plunged my
stick down General Frog’s throat, taking him completely by surprise. The
general’s friends carried him off the field, but he was a dead frog; and
when it was announced that the great General Frog was dead, such a
heart-rending wail as rent the air then never had been heard in the frog
kingdom before.
“The unusual noise awoke me, and I was glad to find it was all a dream,
and that I was not really a tadpole. I got up, lighted the candle,
kissed Lottie’s picture a dozen times, looked at my watch and found that
I had only slept an hour. After pacing the floor for half an hour, I
again threw myself on the bed, and soon was dreaming again. While the
second dream was not so full of nonsense as the first one, it was
pregnant with unpleasantness. It was what I call a business-like
dream--short and to the point. I thought Wallingford and I had failed to
reach a reconciliation, and that General Calloway announced to me that I
must fight. We fought with pistols at ten paces, and I was killed at the
first fire. I suffered all the agonies of death, and as soon as my soul
left the body his Satanic Majesty stood ready to take me into custody. I
remember exactly how he looked; he had his aid-de-camp with him. They
had handcuffs and chains to fasten my limbs. They took me down through a
long space of exceeding darkness, when all at once my eyes were blinded
by the bright flames that broke on my view. I started up and awoke, and
saw two rough-looking men standing over me--while one held a candle, the
other had a pair of handcuffs in his hand.
“‘Get up, sir, and put on your clothes as soon as you can--we want you
to go with us.’
“I did as I was ordered, asking no questions. The first thing that
occurred to me was that the civil authority had ordered my arrest, so as
to prevent the duel; and to be candid, I was very glad of it. Anything
to prevent the duel suited me, for I hated the idea of being shot at
merely to gratify a foolish whim of Harry Wallingford. When I finished
my toilet, one of the men locked the handcuffs on my wrists, and then
commanded me to follow them. Under any other circumstances, I dare say I
should have knocked a man down who attempted to manacle me; but I was
willing to submit to any indignity and endure any inconvenience that
would prevent the duel. I followed the officers submissively and
silently, being satisfied that my imprisonment would be only temporary.
I would be set at liberty as soon as my friends could arrange to make a
bond. The officers put me in a buggy and began to drive rapidly toward
Hernando. We arrived there a short time before daybreak, when I was
placed on a train and was soon moving rapidly toward Grenada. I was
unable to account for this. Why should I be carried out of the country
where I had violated the law? A suspicion now began to rise in my mind
that it was not the duel which had caused my arrest, and I ventured to
ask one of the officers the cause of it. Instead of giving me a civil
answer, he broke into a hoarse laugh.
“‘Ha, ha, ha! Tom, just listen to this rascal, will you? He wants to
know the cause of his arrest. Now ain’t that brassy?’
“‘See here, old fellow,’ said the other officer, addressing himself to
me, ‘that’s too thin; now you just sit down there and keep mighty
quiet--none of your palaver with me! I’ve had much to do with your sort
lately; they always play ignorant.’
“‘Am I arrested for attempting to fight a duel?’ I ventured to inquire.
“‘For what did you say?’ demanded the officer, apparently very much
surprised.
“‘I thought I was arrested for attempting to fight a duel,’ I replied.
“‘Ha, ha, ha! Tom, that fellow is going to try the insane dodge. But
look here, old fellow, that game’s played out. Your cake is all dough;
you are gone up the spout this time certain. It’s a pity, though, to
hang such a good-looking chap as you, but I reckon it’ll have to be
done. I guess you won’t get another chance to escape; they’ll iron you
down good this time.’
“My ire was roused as well as my curiosity, and I indignantly demanded
to know the cause of my arrest, and where I was being carried.
“‘Come, sir,’ said one of the men, ‘none of your airs here now. If you
know what’s good for you, I guess you’ll keep your mouth shut, unless
you can talk with a little more sense.’
“I leaned back in my seat, and tried to collect my scattered thoughts;
but I was so confused that I scarcely could tell whether I was dreaming
or not. It was very plain, however, that the duel had nothing to do with
my arrest; but what was the cause, was the all-absorbing question now to
be settled. They spoke of hanging; what on earth could it mean? They
talked about escapes and irons, etc., etc. What had I to do with all
this?
“The train rattled on; the lamp cast a faint light through the coach, as
the gray streaks of dawn began to steal through the windows. One
officer coiled himself up on a seat just in front of me, and began to
snore so loud that it could be heard above the rattle of the train. The
other one sat by my side with a navy six in his belt, keeping guard
while his companion slept. Every now and then he took a drink of whisky
from a flask which he carried in his pocket. The train did not stop
until we reached Grenada. I was then directed to follow the officers to
the hotel dining-room for breakfast. I drank a cup of coffee, but could
not eat; my head was aching as if it would burst, and I had a burning
fever. We waited at Grenada two hours, when the south-bound train on the
Mississippi Central Railroad arrived. I was conducted aboard, and again
found myself flying on at the rate of fifty miles an hour. It was late
in the evening when I was taken off the train, at a small wayside
station, and conducted to a stage-coach that was ready to start toward
the east. Myself and the two officers were the only passengers. The
driver popped his whip, and we began to move on. Where am I going, and
what is to be my fate? was my mental question. What will General
Galloway think of me when I fail to make my appearance at Horn Lake? He
will think I have fled from mere cowardice. What will Lottie think when
they tell her that I have sneaked off and hidden myself to avoid a
fight? My letter will be handed to her at eight o’clock this evening,
and they will tell her that I have run away. My mental sufferings were
very great, while my physical torture continued to increase. The fever
was burning me with excessive violence, and I knew that I was going to
be seriously ill. My companions were both in a beastly state of
intoxication, one of them stretched on the floor of the coach, while the
other nodded and snored by my side. The driver was so drunk that he
could scarcely keep his seat, and when I begged him to stop and get me a
drink of water, he replied with an oath that he ‘had no time to fool
away.’ The road was rough and hilly, and the horses would go up the rise
at a snail gallop and then go down at full speed, jolting and tossing me
about like a foot-ball. My sufferings were indescribable. It was after
midnight when the coach halted in front of a large brick building in
the village of P----, and I was ordered to get out. I made an effort to
obey, but was so ill that I could not rise from my seat.
“You will have to assist me, gentlemen” said I, “for I am very ill.’
“None of your shamming now’ growled one of the drunken brutes. ‘That’s
too thin--it’s too soon to begin that game; out with you, and be quick
about it, too!’
“I am really very ill, sir; and without help I am not able to stand
alone.’
“Come along with you, then,--I believe you are trying to play the same
old dodge; but we’ll fix you this time so you won’t get away.”
As he muttered these words he dragged me from the coach and led me into
the house, which proved to be the county jail. They carried me up a pair
of stairs and placed me in a dungeon, closed the door, and left me in
total darkness. I sank down on the floor completely exhausted, and
almost crazed with misery. The blood in my veins seemed to be boiling
hot, while the fever continued to increase. My stomach felt as if it
were on fire, and I was nearly famished for water. I began to crawl
about the floor, hoping to find water; for I had called as loud as I
could several times, begging for some to be brought, but no one had
answered my cries. After searching about in the dark for some time, I
found a stone jug of water that was very warm, but it was better than
none. During the search for the water I found a little bundle of straw
in one corner of the room, with a blanket spread over it. Throwing
myself down on it, I groaned in despair. No mental torture could be
greater than I suffered then; the mysterious manner of my arrest, the
knowledge that I was on the eve of a dangerous spell of fever, the
disgrace that would attach to my name, the opinion that General Calloway
would have of me, the sorrow that would fall on my darling Lottie, all
combined to drive me down to the lowest depths of despair. While all
this mental anguish was conspiring to drive me mad, the burning fever
was scorching and parching my blood. I well knew from the symptoms that
I was seriously threatened with brain fever; I rolled and tossed myself
about on the straw until I felt my brain grow dizzy. My mind commenced
to wander; I cried aloud for help, but none came. With Lottie’s sweet
name on my lips, her picture in my hand, I fell into a state of
unconsciousness. When I regained consciousness I was a mere skeleton,
unable to lift my head from my pillow, and it was a long time after my
reason returned before I could remember where I was, or what had
happened. A little negro boy came to the door and shoved a dish of
provisions through the bars of iron, then placed a pitcher of water
where I could reach it, and was turning away, when I called to him in a
voice so feeble that I was astonished at the sound of it. He heard me,
however, and returned to the door, and inquired what I wanted.
“‘How long have I been here?’ I whispered.
“‘You bin dar dis trip free weeks; but de udder time, afore you ’scaped,
you was dar two mont’s zackly,’
“‘You are mistaken, my boy,’ said I, ‘because I never saw this place
until this time.’
“‘Oh, yes, boss, you’s forgot it; you’s bin mighty sick dis time; but
tudder time you broke de jail and ’scaped. Dis time you bin so sick--you
cryin’ all de time--you talk heep of foolishness--you keep sayin’
Lottie! Lottie! sweet Lottie! all de time when you was sick. You crazy!
De doctor sez you gwine to die, den dey won’t hab de fun of hangin’
you.’
“‘What are they going to hang me for?’
“‘Oh, yo knows what for; what yo ax dis chap for, when yo knows all
about it? Didn’t yo kill mas’ Jack Clanton for nuffin’? But yo is gwine
to die shoah, den ob course dey won’t hang you.’
“‘Do they think I am the man who killed Mr. Clanton?’
“‘Of course dey knows it sho’ nuff--dey seed yo do it.’
“‘But I tell you I never saw Mr. Clanton in my life, and I never saw the
jail until I was brought here three weeks ago.’
“‘Oh, boss, yo is crazy yit. Don’t dis chap know ye? Didn’t dis nigger
tend yo all de time? Didn’t yo try to bribe dis nigger to fetch de file?
I ’spect when ye gits better you’ll ‘member all ’bout it.’
“Then he went away whistling ‘Dixie,’ doubtless believing me still out
of my senses, and to tell the truth, I was inclined to that opinion
myself. It seemed to me to be absolutely certain that I had either gone
raving mad myself, or that I had fallen into the hands of a gang of
maniacs; but the most plausible argument was in favor of the idea that
my mind was wandering. My disease had run its course, and I was free
from physical sufferings, except excessive weakness and a general
prostration. All the hair had been shaved from my head, and my temples
had been scarified all over. The room or dungeon in which I was confined
was quite small--not over ten feet square. All the light and air came
through a small, square, grated window, about twelve inches wide.
However, during the day-time the wooden shutter of the door was left
open, which served to aid in ventilating the room; but at night it was
closed. Heavy iron bars crossed each other thickly in the door; and a
small space was open near the floor through which the little negro
usually passed the dishes that contained my food. A short while after
the negro boy had left me, a man came and unlocked the door and entered
the dungeon, carefully closing it when he had got inside.
“‘Well, old fellow,’ said the visitor, as he took a seat near me and
felt my pulse, ‘how do you come on this morning?’
“‘Better, I think,’ was my reply, ‘though I hardly know the nature of my
disease. One thing is plain--I am quite feeble--my strength is all
gone.’
“‘Ah, yes, no doubt you feel very weak; quite natural you should, after
such an attack of brain fever. I thought you were going to make a die of
it, in spite of my humble efforts to save you; but thanks to a vigorous
constitution, which you very fortunately possessed, I have been able to
pull you through. You will be all right again in a few days. I have
ordered you some beef tea, which you must use freely, and by to-morrow I
dare say you will be able to take more solid food. Let me look at your
tongue. Ah, that’s all right. You won’t leave us yet a while.’
“‘Doctor,’ said I, ‘will you be so kind as to inform me if you know why
I am imprisoned in this horrible dungeon?’
“‘Come, come, my dear fellow! you had better not talk about that
unpleasant affair until you get more strength. By no means let your mind
run on that subject. By the by, Debar, what lady is this you have been
raving about all the time? Lottie! Lottie! Yes, I think that was the
name. If you called her name once, you called it fifty thousand times
within the last three weeks. The fact is, you talked as if she were
present with you all the time.’
“‘She is a charming girl who resides in Memphis, Tennessee, and my
betrothed bride.’
“‘Ha! ha! I say, your betrothed bride; but come, come, Debar, you had
better keep quiet, I reckon; for I see your mind is not exactly right
yet.’
“‘Why do you call me Debar? That is not my name. I am a physician by
profession. My name is Edward Demar, and I never saw this jail until the
night I came here three weeks ago.’
“‘Pshaw! Debar; I had been hoping that your mind was entirely restored,
but I am sorry to find myself disappointed in that hope. Is this the
picture of the young lady you call Lottie?’
“‘Yes.’
“‘She must be exceedingly beautiful indeed. That is the sweetest face I
ever saw. You have been holding that picture in your hand, and kissing
it frequently, while your reason was partially, if not totally,
dethroned.’
“‘Oh, sir, if you knew how I worship that dear girl, you would not be
surprised at my devotion to her picture!’
“‘I don’t think your wife would like to hear you talk that way.’
“‘What in Heaven’s name do you mean? I have no wife--nor ever did.’
“‘Look here, Debar, you are either out of your senses, or shamming; for
I know a lady who loves you devotedly, and she is your wife, too, and a
very true, worthy one at that--a thousand times too good for such a
scapegrace as you.’
“‘I tell you my name is not Debar; and I swear I have not been married.
I never loved but one woman in my life, and that is Lottie Wallingford,
of Memphis.’
“‘Ha! ha! ha! Now this is really interesting--indeed it is! You don’t
know your own name! Can’t remember your pretty wife! Never was here
before! Ha! ha! ha! well! well! well! I have often known criminals to
try the insane dodge, but I never knew one to deny his own name and
repudiate his own wife before. But good-morning, old fellow, I am to
blame for letting you talk so much anyway; you just keep very quiet, and
drink as much of the beef tea as you can. I will call again in the
morning; by that time I guess you will remember your name; and I’ll send
a messenger after your wife, as I have been told she has got back home.
She has been absent a long time; that is the reason she has not called
to see you, I suppose. By-by, Debar.’
“Doctor Lamberton was quite a young man, and from our short acquaintance
I had formed rather a favorable opinion of him. He was very kind to me,
and I learned that he had been unremitting in his attentions to me
during my long and serious illness. Doubtless I would have died but for
his kindness. When I was left alone, my thoughts went to work more
vigorously than they ever had done before.