"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?"