“With your permission, I will mark out the ground,
Mr Osborn,” said I, walking up to the Major,
and intending to pace twelve paces in the direction
towards which he faced.
“Allow me to observe that I think a little more
in this direction, would be more fair for both parties,”
said Mr Osborn.
“It would so, my dear sir,” replied I,
“but, submitting to your superior judgment,
perhaps it may not have struck you that my principal
will have rather too much of the sun. I am incapable
of taking any advantage, but I should not do my duty
if I did not see every justice done to the Major,
who has confided to me in this unpleasant affair.
I put it to you, sir, as a gentleman and man of honour,
whether I am claiming too much?” A little amicable
altercation took place on this point, but finding
that I would not yield, and that at every reply I was
more and more polite and bland in my deportment, Mr
Osborn gave up the point. I walked the twelve
paces, and Mr Osborn placed his principal. I observed
that Lord Tineholme did not appear pleased; he expostulated
with him, but it was then too late. The pistols
had been already loaded—the choice was
given to his lordship, and Major Carbonnell received
the other from my hand, which actually trembled, while
his was firm. I requested Mr Osborn to drop the
handkerchief, as I could not make up my mind to give
a signal which might be fatal to the Major. They
fired—Lord Tineholme fell immediately—the
Major remained on his feet for a second or two, and
then sank down on the ground. I hastened up to
him. “Where are you hurt?”
The Major put his hand to his hip—“I
am hit hard, Newland, but not so hard as he is.
Run and see.”
I left the Major, and went up to where Lord Tineholme
lay, his head raised on the knee of his second.
“It is all over with him, Mr Newland, the ball
has passed through his brain.”
The Major pays the only
debt of consequence he ever did pay, and I
find myself a man of
property.
I hastened back to the Major, to examine his wound,
and, with the assistance of Timothy, I stripped him
sufficiently to ascertain that the ball had entered
his hip, and probing the wound with my finger, it
appeared that it had glanced off in the direction of
the intestines; the suffusion of blood was very trifling,
which alarmed me still more.
“Could you bear removal, Major, in the coach?”
“I cannot tell, but we must try; the sooner
I am home the better, Japhet,” replied he faintly.
