The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-09-12
German Student Duel.
Fifteen Minutes Fighting.

The fighting attitude of your civil
lied duellist is peculiar. Right
side forward, knees straight, feet twelve
inches apart Right arm raised over
and in front of the head, the elbow
bent outwards the Schlager, slanting
down toward the left, completes the
arch. The arm is never moved it is
the guard, and upon its being in pre-
cisely the proper position depends the
wholesome of its owners skin. The
cuts are made entirely by the turn of
the wrist, the object being to over
reach your adversary's guard, and slice
his countenance with the lower end of
your sword-blade At first, before the
blood begins to flow, the contest is not
awe-inspiring to the untutored savage.
Holding their left hands behind them,
the champions clash away from the right
wrist. The cuts are given in rapid al
formation, the "recover being instan-
taneous cut and recover take Just one
second by the watch. The blades strike
fiat on the padded guard, and bend over
toward the heads, but do not quite
reach the skin yet. Flap-fap flap
flap first one and thenthe other. Shut
ting his eyes and abstracting his mind
from the present scene for a moment,
the savage can fancy himself once more
in the back yard of his boyhood's home,
where Michael and Bridget are beating
carpets. Flap-fap carpet-beating for
all the world Now comes the first
pause; no casualty as yet. Seconds,
support the weary right arms of your
principals, and straighten out the blades
of their swords, for the soft steel is al
ready bent out OF shape. Our Ameri-
can looks rather more hopeful he in
tends to do execution in the next round.
The countenance of his adversary,
veteran at the business, is inscrutable.
Never mind; it will become open
enough, let us hope, ere all is done
Time, gentlemen ! Guard, again.
Los off you go, Flap-fap fap-fap
Suddenly the seconds interpose their
swords. Somebody thought the Ameri-
can was touched. He is put in chair,
amined in a way that reminds us of the
monkeys cage in the Geological Gar
dens. No find, however it was false
alarm, and the combat continues. Now
we begin to feel excited
He has caught it this time, and no
mistake Saw you that lock of hair
Jump into the air, as if suddenly de-
claring independence? It falls, but
not sooner than the blood rushes out of
doors, and floods one side of our coun-
tryman's face. He looks surprised, and
somewhat disconnected but so keen
are the blades, the cut is at first scarce
ly felt, the blood precedes the pain.
He is led to a chair, and cold water and
sponges are freely applied for minute
or two then he must stand up again,
his fifteen minutes not being up, and
continue the contest. We fancy the In
dian fibre in him has been touched; he
wants to take a scalp too. His guard
seems more secure, his wrist more sup
pie. Nevertheless, the first seven and
a half minutes clapse without further
incident. There is an intermission of
a few minutes for sponging, discussion,
and smoking betting there is none
the vanguards of civilization.
Presently the men take their places
again. The Americans head is begin
ming to feel a little sore and stiff. He is a
most ghastly object, the blood running
over his face, dripping down
on his gorget and leggings, or spatter-
ing to the floor, where it is eagerly alb
sorbed by the sawdust. viii he sue
ceed in squaring accounts with that
stolid antagonist of his? The savage,
untutored though he be, is bound to
confess he hopes so Ha! it is done,
sure enough. There was a slight extra
turn of the wrist or an almost imper-
ceptible wavering of the guard; our
ssword caught just beneath
his opponents right nostril, and made
clear arc across the cheek-bone to the
ear. The stolid gentleman blanches, as
well he may the sword bit to the bone
He is led to his chair, under which is
soon formed quite a respectable blood
puddle. Will the fight go on? No,
the men are both faint. Hand them
over to the surgeons to be sewn up, and
let us have the next pair.-JuLj0r1 RaaO-
thOr7ae in GALAXY.