But if my prospective opponent was one who could not be faced
antagonistically without a severe effort, the second whom he chose was
one against whose side I could fight with the utmost readiness, thanks
to the irritating power he possessed upon me. He was Lieutenant Chubb,
whom I had worsted in the affair to which I have alluded earlier,
which grew out of his assumption of superiority to us who were of
American birth. I had subjected this cock to such deference in my
presence, that he now rejoiced at what promised to be my defeat, and
his revenge by proxy, so great reliance he placed upon Captain
Falconer's skill with either sword or pistol. I chose the latter
weapon, however, without much perturbation, inwardly resolved that the
gloating Chubb should so far fail of his triumph, as to suffer a
second humiliation in the defeat of his principal. For my own second,
Lieutenant Berrian, of our brigade, did me the honour to go out with
me. A young New York surgeon, Doctor Williams, obliged us by assuming
the risk which it would have been too much to ask Doctor McLaughlin to
undertake a second time. At my desire, the place and hour set were
those at which Tom Faringfield had met his death. I felt that the
memory of his dying face would be strongest, there and then, to make
my arm and sight quick and sure.
A thaw had carried away much of the snow, and hence we had it not as
light as it had been for Tom's duel; although the moon made our
outlines and features perfectly distinct as we assembled in the
hollow, and it would make our pistol-barrels shine brightly enough
when the time came, as I ascertained by taking aim at an imaginary
mark.
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