VALUE OF BLUFF

New Zealand Tablet, 6 March 1913, Page 62

V ALUE OF BLUFF

In a close encounter during the American Civil War, two soldiers, one from each army, came face to face within short range. Each put up his gun and fired, as it subsequently appeared, his last cartridge. Both missed. The bullet of one man buried itself in a tree, and the shot of the other passed through the coat of his enemy. Each man, knowing his ammunition was gone, supposed himself to be at a disadvantage. One of them made a great show of reloading his gun, and, stepping forward, demanded a surrender. The other threw down his arms with a groan. 1 If I had another cartridge I would never surrender,’ he exclaimed. ‘ That’s all right,’ calmly remarked the captor, marching off his prisoner. ‘lf I had another, you may be sure I shouldn’t have asked you to surrender.’