Tate, it seems, challenged Dooly to mortal combat. Mr. Crawford was
Tate's friend. Dooly, contrary to all expectation, accepted, and named
General Clark as his friend, and appointed a day of meeting. Tate had
lost a leg, and, as was usual in that day, had substituted a wooden,
one. On the appointed day, Tate, with his friend, repaired to the place
of meeting, where Dooly had preceded them, and was alone, sitting upon
a stump. Crawford approached him, and asked for his friend, General
Clark.
"He is in the woods, sir."
"And will soon be present, I presume?" asked Crawford.
"Yes; as soon as he can find a gum."
"May I inquire, Colonel Dooly, what use you have for a gum in the
matter we have met to settle?"
"I want it to put my leg in, sir. Do you suppose I can afford to risk
my leg of flesh and bone against Tate's wooden one? If I hit his leg,
why, he will have another to-morrow, and be pegging about as well as
usual. If he hits mine, I may lose my life by it; but almost certainly
my leg, and be compelled, like Tate, to stump it the balance of my
life. I cannot risk this; and must have a gum to put my leg in: then I
am as much wood as he is, and on equal terms with him.
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