his order appeared in the Springfield paper, to the great
amusement of the townspeople and the fury of Shields. These
letters were dated from the "Lost Townships," and were supposed
to be written by a farmer's widow signing herself "Aunt Rebecca."
The real writers were Miss Todd and a clever friend, who
undertook them more for the purpose of poking fun at Shields than
for party effect. In framing the political part of their attack,
they had found it necessary to consult Lincoln, and he obligingly
set them a pattern by writing the first letter himself.

Shields sent to the editor of the paper to find out the name of
the real "Rebecca." The editor, as in duty bound, consulted
Lincoln, and was told to give Lincoln's name, but not to mention
the ladies. Shields then sent Lincoln an angry challenge; and
Lincoln, who considered the whole affair ridiculous, and would
willingly have explained his part in it if Shields had made a
gentlemanly inquiry, chose as weapons "broadswords of the largest
size," and named as conditions of the duel that a plank ten feet
long be firmly fixed on edge in the ground, as a line over which
neither combatant was to pass his foot upon forfeit of his life.
Next, lines were to be drawn upon the ground on each side of the
plank, parallel with it, at the distance of the whole length of
the sword and three feet additional. The passing of his own line
by either man was to be deemed a surrender of the fight.

It is easy to see from these conditions that Lincoln refused to
consider the matter seriously, and determined to treat it as
absurdly as it deserved. He and Shields, and their respective
seconds, with the broadswords, hurried away to an island in the
Mississippi River, opposite Alton; but long before the plank was