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90 A SHABBY GENTEEL STORY
" I'll try," said Fitch, who was a little pale, and thanked his
noble friend for his counsel. The hat was placed and the men took
their places.
" Are you all ready ?"
" Ready," said Brandon.
"Advance when I drop my handkerchief." And presently
down it fell, Lord Cinqbars crying, " Now !"
The combatants both advanced, each covering his man. When
he had gone about six paces, Fitch stopped, fired, and—missed.
He grasped his pistol tightly, for he was very near dropping it ;
and then stood biting his lips, and looking at Brandon, who grinned
savagely, and walked up to the hat.
" Will you retract what you said of me yesterday, you villain ?"
said Brandon.
"I can't."
"Will you beg for life ?"
" No."
" Then take a minute, and make your peace with God, for you
are a dead man."
Fitch dropped his pistol to the ground, shut his eyes for a
moment, and flinging up his chest and clenching his fists, said,
" Now I'm ready"
Brandon fired—and strange to say, Andrea Fitch, as he gasped
and staggered backwards, saw, or thought he saw, Mr. Brandon's
pistol flying up in the air, where it went off, and heard that
gentleman yell out an immense oath in a very audible voice.
When he came to himself, a thick stick was lying at Brandon's
feet ; Mr. Brandon was capering about the ground, and cursing and
shaking a maimed elbow, and a whole posse of people were rushing
upon them. The first was the great German courier, who rushed
upon Brandon, and shook that gentleman, and shouting, " Schelm !
spitzbube! blagard ! goward!" in his ear. " If I had not drown
my stick and brogen his damt arm, he wod have murdered dat boor
young man."
The German's speech contained two unfounded assertions : in
the first place Brandon would not have murdered Fitch; and,
secondly, his arm was not broken—he had merely received a blow
on that part which anatomists call the funny bone : a severe blow,
which sent the pistol spinning into the air, and caused the gentleman
to scream with pain. Two waiters seized upon the murderer,
too ; a baker, who had been brought from his rounds, a bellman,
several boys,—were yelling round him, and shouting out, "Polee-eace!"
Next to these came, panting and blowing, some women. Could