unteer
regiment were paid off one day, and, of course, all who could get
_leave_, started to town, to have a time, and get clear of their hard
earnings.

The Mexicans were some pleased, and greatly illuminated by the
Americans, that and the succeeding day. Several of the officers invested
a portion of their funds in mules and mustangs. Among the rest, Lieut.
Dick Mason and Adjt. Wash. Armstrong set up their private teams. Now, it
so fell out, that one of Armstrong's men stole Mason's mule, and being
caught during the day with the stolen property on him, or he on it, the
high-handed private, (who, barring his propensity to ride in preference
to walking, was a very clever sort of fellow, and rather popular with
the Adjutant,) nabbed him as a hawk would a pip-chicken.

"If I catch the fellow who stole my mule," quoth Lieut. Dick, "I'll give
him a lamming he won't forget soon!"

And, good as his word, when the man was taken, the Lieutenant had him
whipped severely. This riled up Adjt. Wash., who, in good, round,
unvarnished terms, volunteered to lick the Lieutenant--out of his
leathers! From words they came to blows, very expeditiously, and somehow
or other the Lieutenant came out second best--bad licked! This sort of
a finale did not set well upon the stomach of the gallant Lieutenant; so
he ups and writes a challenge to the Adjutant to meet in mortal combat;
and readily finding a second, the challenge was signed, sealed, and
delivered to Adjt. Armstrong, Company ----, Ohio volunteers. All these
preliminaries were carried on in, or very near in, Camargo. The Adjutant
readily accepted the invitation to step out and be shot at; and, having
scared up his second, and having no heirs or assigns, goods, chattels,
or other sublunary matters to adjust, no time was lost in making wills
or leaving posthumous information. The duel went forward with alacrity,
but all of a sudden it was discovered by the several interested parties
that no arms were in the crowd. It would not very well do to go to camp
and look for duelling weapons; so it was proposed to do the best that
could be done under the circumstances, and buy such murderous tools as
could be found at hand, and go into the merits of the case at once. At
length the Adjutant and friend chanced upon a machine supposed to be a
pistol, brought over to the Continent, most probably, by Cortez, in the
year 1--sometime. It was a _scrougin_' thing to hold powder and lead,
and went off o