When Knighthood Was in Flower | Page 4

a Scotch gentleman of whom very little was known,
except that he was counted the most deadly and most cruel duelist of
the time. He was called the "Walking Death," and it is said took pride
in the appellation. He boasted that he had fought eighty-seven duels, in
which he had killed seventy-five men, and it was considered certain
death to meet him. I got the story of the duel afterwards from Brandon
as I give it here.

John was the elder brother, and when the challenge came was entitled
to fight first,--a birthright out of which Charles tried in vain to talk him.
The brothers told their father, Sir William Brandon, and at the
appointed time father and sons repaired to the place of meeting, where
they found Judson and his two seconds ready for the fight.
Sir William was still a vigorous man, with few equals in sword play,
and the sons, especially the younger, were better men and more skilful
than their father had ever been, yet they felt that this duel meant certain
death, so great was Judson's fame for skill and cruelty. Notwithstanding
they were so handicapped with this feeling of impending evil, they met
their duty without a tremor; for the motto of their house was, "Malo
Mori Quam Fedrai."
It was a misty morning in March. Brandon has told me since, that when
his elder brother took his stand, it was at once manifest that he was
Judson's superior, both in strength and skill, but after a few strokes the
brother's blade bent double and broke off short at the hilt when it
should have gone home. Thereupon, Judson, with a malignant smile of
triumph, deliberately selected his opponent's heart and pierced it with
his sword, giving the blade a twist as he drew it out in order to cut and
mutilate the more.
In an instant Sir William's doublet was off, and he was in his dead son's
tracks, ready to avenge him or to die. Again the thrust which should
have killed broke the sword, and the father died as the son had died.
After this, came young Charles, expecting, but, so great was his strong
heart, not one whit fearing, to lie beside his dead father and brother. He
knew he was the superior of both in strength and skill, and his
knowledge of men and the noble art told him they had each been the
superior of Judson; but the fellow's hand seemed to be the hand of
death. An opening came through Judson's unskilful play, which gave
young Brandon an opportunity for a thrust to kill, but his blade, like his
father's and brother's, bent double without penetrating. Unlike the
others, however, it did not break, and the thrust revealed the fact that
Judson's skill as a duelist lay in a shirt of mail which it was useless to
try to pierce. Aware of this, Brandon knew that victory was his, and

that soon he would have avenged the murders that had gone before. He
saw that his adversary was strong neither in wind nor arm, and had not
the skill to penetrate his guard in a week's trying, so he determined to
fight on the defensive until Judson's strength should wane, and then kill
him when and how he chose.
After a time Judson began to breathe hard and his thrusts to lack force.
"Boy, I would spare you," he said; "I have killed enough of your tribe;
put up your sword and call it quits."
Young Brandon replied: "Stand your ground, you coward; you will be a
dead man as soon as you grow a little weaker; if you try to run I will
thrust you through the neck as I would a cur. Listen how you snort. I
shall soon have you; you are almost gone. You would spare me, would
you? I could preach a sermon or dance a hornpipe while I am killing
you. I will not break my sword against your coat of mail, but will wait
until you fall from weakness and then.... Fight, you bloodhound!"
Judson was pale from exhaustion, and his breath was coming in gasps
as he tried to keep the merciless sword from his throat. At last, by a
dexterous twist of his blade, Brandon sent Judson's sword flying thirty
feet away. The fellow started to run, but turned and fell upon his knees
to beg for life. Brandon's reply was a flashing circle of steel, and his
sword point cut lengthwise through Judson's eyes and the bridge of his
nose, leaving him sightless and hideous for life. A revenge compared to
which death would have been merciful.
The duel created a sensation throughout the kingdom, for although little
was known as to who Judson was, his fame as