"The Duel" - Animation by
Walker Road Primary School
in Torry.
Poem From The Book Of Saint Fittick
written in 1812
BY ALEXANDER ROBB
Narration & music By
Joyce Falconer
"The Real Torry Quine"
A Wonderful Piece Of Animation by the Pupils.
THE DUEL.
BY ALEXANDER ROBB
Poems and Songs. 1852.
Torry has witnessed many a deadly struggle, but the warlike encounter commemorated in the following verses by Deacon Robb was happier in its termination than most others. The event happened about 1812. A Count and a Baron, well-known men in the Aberdeen of those days, quarrelled in a ballroom in town. The Baron tweaked the Count's nose, when,
LIKE ony roarin' lion stout
The Baron swore aloud,
" For this insult upon my snout
O Count, I'll have your blood !
" Then name your arms and time to yok',
An' name the field of glory.
Pistols-the morn, at five o'clock,
Upon the hills o' Torry.
Now frae the east red rose the sun
Like ony copper kettle,
And o'er the Cove portentous shone
Upon the field of battle.
His beams had scarce begun to lick
The dew frae aff the heather,
When baith the lads, to time exact,
Were on the field together.
A doctor in the howe appeared
To wait the grand attack,
Wi' a' his instruments prepared
The bullets to extract.
The grun' was paced, and pistols, tee,
Waur loaded, prim'd, and cocket,
And seconds stood aside, to see
Wha first su'd kick the bucket.
The birds and beasts gaed daft for fear
As soon's they heard the pistols;
And fisher wives cried, Lord be here !
As they were gatherin' mussels.
The gu's and kittyweakes screamed
To hear the dire commotion ;
An' skate an' haddocks quicker swimm'd
Out through the German Ocean.
As fly the waves against a rock,
So flew the balls o' lead ;
As meets a rock the dashing waves,
So firm the heroes steed.
Shot after shot came aff like stoure
Frae these redoubted champions,
An' crack for crack for half-an-hour
Resounded through the Grampians.
At length the Baron cried, " Hallo !
I'm curst if I can wound ye."
" I'm sorry I'm the same with you,"
Replied the Count, "confound ye."
" Then," says the Baron, " gie's your ban',
I'll ne'er say Count in future ;
" The Count said, " That's a gentleman,
I'm wae I twin'd your coutar. "