The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1869-08-18
ton amply by spelling his handsome face

master, Di Pratt; will you Gomez"
consented and accompanied my friend
to the back of the Duomo, where the safe
darms of the famous professor was situated,
once crowded with students, but latterly de-
serted for the rooms of rival professor,
De Liancourt, teacher of the Austrian OIL
Ger, the fire-eater OF Milan.
The room was hung round with foils,
breastplates, masks, and all the usual furnl-
ture as a place where assaults both with
sharps and blunts were customary.
The professor was tall, grey-Whlskered
man of marital aspect, with arms barred to
the elbow, displaying mass OF muscles
seemingly as tough as catgut.
| "You are too late, COUNT said he, looking
at my friend. "Play has been over this
hour"
at is not play; it is something serious l
come to YOU about This way old friend,
and let me explain"
They retired to distant part of the room
and my friend, in few words stated what
had occurred.
The professors face wore look of con-
| Germ.
The Austrian will insist on duel a'amt
rance, I fear"
"My unalterable determination is that 1t
shall be so. have week to get up In my
fencing; will you take me in hand?
Why come to me? Your challenger has
already killed two of my best pupils, and
brought discredit on my school, I gu
should rather seek instruction from my rival,
De Liancourt, his teacher"
~ prefer to come to you"
az will teach no more pupils who throw
away their lives by disregarding my
counsels.n
81 promise on my homer, to obey them
implicitly
leone then, you will have to fight with
broadswords. Put on mask and breastplate,
and let me see what you can de-"
Master and pupil being properly attired,
commenced to play.
My friend exhibited an amount of agility
and skill was unprepared for. The mas
ter watch his play closely, contenting HIM
self with parrying blows and thrusts deliv-
cred with much spirit and artistic skill.
The bout was over.
swell, professor, does your old pupil dis
grace you?"
"Your play has some pretty things for the
fencing-school they must all be discarded
with such an opponent as the Austrian. At
tend. First discharge from your eyes all
that passion which enables an adversary to
master your Intentions; next take to this
guard and keep to it,"
The professor threw himself into an atti-
tude once favorite among Scottish gentle
men of the sword, but now neglected by
fencers of the modern school. l believe it
is termed the hanging guard.
My friend initiated the professor.
"Not en- quartz, but .en seconde, your
sword hand higher than your head, with
sloping point; your left brought in front,
ready to parry. Good you have now the
surest guard you can use; you make a
strong cross on your opponents sword, and
your parade is more certain. You have
weeka Well, shall exercise you only in
this guard, and the parades that flow from
it,
Gam I not to assault 81
"But once; on it will depend the issue of
the fight. will teach you the mode the
last thing See your adversary is practised
and skillful; but he knows only what he
has been taught by his master. One or two
tricks of science he especially relies upon.
l know how to counteract them, and had
my pupils, when challenged, attended 10
my instructions, they might have been alive
now to credit their instructor"
'You shall never have to make complaint
of me-"
"Bear in mind, your opponent has great
bodily strength, and is cumming of fence;
but foiled in his favorite passes, he loses
temper; in that lies your safety. Having
played out his tricks, he takes to his last
and usually fatal move. By sheer strength
of wrist, he presses his opponents sword
firmly aside, so as to make an open, then by
feint and turn of the wrist he delivers a
thrust which, if it goes home, all is over.
You must wait patiently for this: when the
thrust is given, parry with your left, and
then see-lG rispoSte-thus delivering the
stab, not upwards, for in that case the bones
and muscles of the chest may weaken it, but
downwards, where the point will only meet
with the softer parts. 1t is the play from
the risposte that your life depends"
I have, 1 fear, imperfectly stated the par
ticulars of the lesson, and the technical
terms made use of, my experience in fencing
being confined to a turn or two with blunts
at Angeles room. OF course, as this was to
be duel in downright earnest, my atten-
ton was more than commonly riyeted to
all that occurred.
"And now for your weapon" said the
professor opening closet and producing
a sword. II have the measure of the
Austrian's sword, this one is the exact
length"
The sword at cursory glance looked an
weapon with which to defend
a mans life. My friend evidently thought
so, for he examined it with a dismayed
look.n ~ ....-.......
"Why," said he, "it's hardly more than a
lark spit; the Austrian uses Konigsberg
blade, double the width and weight of this
toy"
81 know it, but this toy, as you term it."
the weapon fondly from heel to
point, " has qualities that in proper hands
will prove more than match for the best
sword ever forged in Germany. 1t is a real
Seville blade-nothlng better in the world.
See" placing it lengthwise on his finger,
how admirably it is balanced notice the
hilt, close barred and crossed-no fear of
wounds on the sword-hand; then its temp
er," severing large nail on which breast
plates were hung. Look again." pressing
the point against the wall until it met the
hilt, when, releasing the weapon, the blade
instantly returned to its normal condition
=" And this last" striking the blade flat on
an iron anvil with all the force, there, that
alone is test which defy even the famed
Konigsberg sword to undergo Enough for
this night. Come early tomorrow for your
lesson.n
When we quilted the professor the doctor
obtained promise from me that 1
would not leave Milan until the result of the
duel was determined, and that would ac-