The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-03-27
DuelipR.

1915, this system was pursued extensively 10y
the French officers. Patriotism and Il deep
sense Of injury perhaps palIia,ed its a'roci,y.
Day after day, Prussian and English OIL
GERS would he grossly insul,cd 10y French
men-would send car,cl-fyht-and he
carried off regularly to Pcre Ii Cha:sc.-
Some of Napolcon's mnitrrs dormrS made
a business of killing their man each day.
A story is told Of one cf tl,cm-an old
Capitainc Ducroc-who had slain his scores,
ami was never known to meet his match
with the sword. lie never sent a challenges
was always the aggressor, AMI pitilcssly in
sisted on the right Of choosing his fav"rite
weapon. When he had not found an ad-
verS;'ry in the course of the day, he would
enter the Cafe Foy, at Paris, toward six
o'clock, for dinner; and the walters could
tell hy his face aud the way lie twirled his
grizzly moustaclc, that he was on tn" look
out for Il quarrel. Woe to him who gave
him the least chance One evening, there
clanccl to drop into the same cafe an
English officer named Gwynnc. 1Io be-
longcd to the army of occupation. but had
only jus, returned to his regiment from his
home, where he had been kept II close
prisoner ly IL wound received ut Waterloo.
During his absence, his brother had had
the mSfo'tunc-so he had hcar'l-to quar-
rel with Capi,anc Ducruc, and to be killed
hy him i'll a duel.
Gwynne entered the Cafe Foy few
minutes before six, and sat down at small
vacant table. a waiter started ut the Sirl.t,
and runnin. to the En"!i~hman. observed,
with some agitation, that that was "the
Cantain's table" "Wlat Captain, my
friend ," askel the Enw!i>hman. "Oh !!
IL Capii;,ine Ducroc!" answered the waiter,
r"n"uncing the terrible name almost with
Il feeling of awe. G"ynnc's cheek flushed
ut the name. but ie merely observed that
this table WIS IKE all the others, seem
ins ly STILL he said, if the Capi,ainc in
sistc,l upon il, lie would doubtless satisfy
him" On which he took up the newSpa
per and h's'n to re,'l.
Almost at the same instant the door
"pcnc'l. an,l n heavy tread of spnrrel boots
were heard appr"ar',in. the table. When
ut Il few feet distance, "Ic Captains" stop
ped, anil surveyed the u~urpcr with an iu-
>n;ing smile. Gwvnne h'nlic,l calmly ut
linn. hut 'li! not speak. The Cal,:tainc sat
down at the table close hy, and began to
twirl his m"u>tache. People who knew
him understood tn. meaning of the Cos
ture, AMI gathered closer To the rnlpuhta
lie champion of France. They had not
long to wait before he commenced opera
tons.
Stretching across suhlcnly, he seized the
lamp on the Engi-hman'> table, anil snatch
cd it away, while with the other hand Ic
piuckcd tile newspaper out of Gwynne's
grasp. There was Il buzz in the cafe ut
this gross insult, and one or two English
men present sprang to their feet, and
moved toward their coan,rymau. But lie
did not speak Or move; his face did not
even show amy apparent notice Of the af
front.
lie Capitainc real for moment or two.
then turning his chair SO as to bring it close
to the Engli>hman's table, he suddenly
stretched out his leg, and brought down
the heel of his heavy boo: on Gwynnc's
foot. There was another buzz and murmur
among the consomm"teurs but Gwynne
contcntcd himself with drawing his foot
up. and folding his arms. His country
nen gathered round linn, evidently g.IeI
at his seeming Indifference to the insult ;
but he took no notice. At last 10 Capilainc,
after Il long look at his antagonist, called
to the waiter for glass of brandy. When
it was brought, lie raised the glass, and
drank it. saying to Gwynne, al Ootrc cvur-
age, -l"glnix"
Then slowly and lcisurcly the latter rose
lie was man ofimmense size and strength
With one stride he stood beside the French
man; then. grasping his moustacl,c with
one hand and his chin with the other, he
wrenched his mouth open and spat down
bis throat.
"Should Monsieur deem tit," lie said, in
calm, quiet voice, to honor me with
call, there is my card" So saying he left
the cafe. Needless to add, that his invita-
tion was not accepted. Ducroc never chal-
l"nged !; the choice Of weapons was essen
tial to his safety.
Something to be Borne in Mind.-Nci-
tl,er lovers nor husbands should ever un-
dertake to entertain their sweethearts or
wives BY extolling the beauty and accom-
plishments Of other maids or matrons and
neither sweethearts nor wives should over
strive to render their lovers or husbands
more affectiont,te bv ctoipo into ecat,s;oo