The Duel
Crampley takes one pistol without hesitation and, before the narrator can cock the other, fires in his face and throws the pistol after the shot. The narrator feels himself stunned, imagining the bullet has entered his brain, but discharges his own pistol as quickly as possible so he will not die unrevenged. He then flies upon his antagonist, knocking out several of his fore-teeth with the butt-end of the piece. He would have finished him off, had Crampley not disengaged and seized his cutlass—previously given to his servant. The narrator draws his hanger and closes in fury, thrusting his weapon into Crampley’s mouth, enlarging it on one side to his ear. When Crampley staggers back, possibly due to the wound or uneven ground, the narrator follows and cuts the tendons of the back of his hand with one stroke. Crampley’s cutlass drops, leaving him defenceless.
Treacherously Attacked and Robbed
The narrator’s rage might have driven him to further cruelty had he not been felled to the ground by a blow on the back of his head, depriving him of all sensation. In this deplorable situation, exposed to an incensed barbarian and an inhuman crew, he remains for some time. When he recovers his senses, he finds himself alone in a desolate place, stripped of his clothes, money, watch, buckles, and everything except his shoes, stockings, breeches, and shirt. He had been worth sixty guineas in cash just an hour before.
A State of Despair
The narrator curses the hour of his birth, the parents who gave him being, the sea that did not swallow him up, the poniard of the enemy that could not find his heart, and the villainy of those who left him in such a miserable condition. In the ecstasy of despair, he resolves to remain where he is and perish.
The original text of this work is in the public domain. This page focuses on a guided summary article, reading notes, selected quotes, and visual learning materials for educational purposes.