Part 28 (2/2)

As I sat down to resume writing this morning, the morning papers were brought in. I picked up the nearest, which happened to be the _Daily Mirror_, and the first words my eyes fell on were:

With the verdict of ”not guilty” the great love drama trial came to an end at the Old Bailey yesterday. Scarcely had the foreman of the jury uttered the words which set Lieut. X---- free, than frantic cheers rose in Court, and were taken up by the enormous crowd, which, seething with excitement, awaited the result in the street outside.

Can any one doubt what answer this crowd would have given, if asked if duelling should be made legal in England?

How the law at present stands, for citizens of the United States of America and for British subjects, will be found in the supplement of this book (reprinted from my _Art of Revolver Shooting_).

The American law does not apply to the case of a duel fought by a citizen of the United States outside the geographical limits of that country.

According to Mr. R. Newton Crane _no offence is committed_ by the fact that an American citizen has partic.i.p.ated in a duel beyond the jurisdiction of the United States. The citizens.h.i.+p of the combatant, is in such circ.u.mstances, immaterial.

On the other hand, sending, knowingly bearing, or accepting a challenge in England or America, renders the sender, bearer, or accepter, liable to punishment by the laws of England or America, as the case may be, whether the duel is subsequently fought or not, and whether it is fought in England or America or abroad, and whether the offending party is an Englishman, American, or a foreigner. Provoking a man to send a challenge is also an indictable offence.

The law applicable to the punishment for actually fighting the duel, is, on the other hand, the law of the place where the duel is fought, and that law only, applies to the offence.

Provocation, however great, is no excuse, although it might weigh with the court in fixing the punishment.

Under the English law the punishment for sending, bearing or accepting a challenge is fine or imprisonment without hard labour, or both.

Each of the States of the United States has penalties for the offence, which though differing in detail are practically the same in substance as those provided by the law of England.

It seems, therefore, that a citizen of the United States of America, can safely fight a duel in a country where duelling is permitted with a man of any nationality, provided he does not challenge, accept a challenge, or fight him on American _or_ British soil.

CHAPTER x.x.xIX

HOW TO PREPARE A NOVICE IN HALF AN HOUR FOR A DUEL

A duel takes place only a few hours after the challenge, generally early next morning, to prevent interruption.

Suppose a man has never had a pistol in his hand. How should he be trained in the half-hour at his disposal?

This is easy--if he is experienced with the shotgun at game or clay pigeons.

Show him the hind sight of the pistol; tell him it is merely to a.s.sist him in aligning the pistol.

Tell him that as there is only one barrel, it would be difficult to align it without this sight, pointing out to him that his double barrel shotgun can be aligned without this aid as in that case he looks along the rib.

Tell him to imagine he is using a shotgun, and to use his pistol exactly as he would use his gun if shooting at a rabbit which sat up on its hind legs for a moment, to listen.

Tell him he must be careful to keep the b.u.t.t end of his pistol against his thigh, till he hears the word ”_un_,” and that he must not fire after the word ”_trois_”; in fact, he must not fire a poking shot.

On no account, unless he unfortunately knows it already, let him know the pistol may be raised after the word ”_feu_.”

If he is a good snap shot with a gun, he is sure to shoot quickly enough.

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