The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-10

Mr.. Spright had no Wish 70 XIII the DTotne
of the girl he loved, much less to be klllet
by him.
and came into the field. But instead Q
bringing with him pistol case, he arrived
with basket, in which lay, neatly assorted
in two lots some raw cucnmbers and som
unripe apples. 1t happened that the cho'er;
was then raging fiercely at Owensblrg, ant
Mr.. Spright said "The man who eats ont
Of those two los will come to a safer dealt
than by shooting. Let's sit down, both Q
r us, like men, and clear off the basket be
tween us :: or. if YOU like it better we'll toss
up as to who shall eat the whole basketfnl.'
Like Cagliostro's medical friend, Mr.. Tracy
of Owensburg, preferred laying his ami
mostly aside and in the end submitted witt
good grace enough to having Mr.. Spright
!. for a brother-in-law. All this brings M
f in roundabout to French dueling, and to the
extraordinary number of men who have ac
gnired a reputaton-and a glorious one
in La Belle France" by running or rid
ding their contemporaries through the
body. There is no country where more cal
be heard about
DUEIING AS A FINE ART
From the days Of the knights Grant. who
tilted at one another with lances on the first
convenient pretext down to those Of NJ
the first reputed swordsman of these our
times, Frenchmen have raised the art Of at
tack and selfdefense to the height Of ma
| tional institution. 1t was only ten days
ago that a notable fencing joust took place
in one Of the large gymnastic rooms OF Paris
and drew crowd of spectators who would
have been strangely panied at the sugges-
ton that ducling could ever die out They
look upon it, they say, as a preventative to
fine manners, an incentive to courtesy and
mutual forbearance. If you let them talk
much they would persuade you that it was
| a Christian custom. 1t is doubtful whether
the threat of Imprisonment will alter these
soothing impressions. The most one can
expect is that it will drive Parisians to settle
their disputes on the Belgian frontier instead
of the Bots de Vincennes. This will be
| awkward for journalists, who are the chief
| fighters nowadays, but they will cOntrive to
| bear up somehow against the extra loss of
time and railway expense for dueling is to
many of them social necessity.
How would this or that young scribbler get
known if he did not cOntrive to get his
name printed in'connection with fine duel,
bloodless, but full Of courage, on both sides ?
When times are difficult, "copy" difficult
| to lodge and five franc pieces wOndrous few,
| a timely duel acts like an advertisements
and often is stepping stone to fortune
This is why every Frenchman who yields
pen flourishes foil also in his leisure hours
and why
FRENCH FENCING MASTERS
enjoy degree of public regard not always
vouchsafed to them in other lands They
$ EN- conscious of the weight and respecta-
b.lity of their mission, and many edifying
stories are told about the counsels they have
given to pupils who had been trapped into
| ~ ~, 49,, a. ell
limit Of proficiency, Not very long ago, for
example, the crack fencing master Of Paris,
whose name is appropriately enough Gate
chair (spoiltiesh, received the visit Of a
clustered gentleman, who turned out to
be a lawyer, and who explained,
with beads Of perspiration rolling
down his face, that he had been chal-
lcnged by another lawyer-a desperate,
murderous man. He knew naught of tenc-
ing and now wanted to be taught a secret
thrust offhand, SO that he might be on
equal terms with his adversary. It's no
use teaching you secret thrust if you can't
fence" said Gatechar; but here's my advice
to you. Keep your fOil's point at foOt's
distance from your adversary's; hold your
sword hand on level with your chin and
d, MT attack. 1t is probable your adversary
will grow impatient and advance; if he does
that then you retreat If he retreats then
You stand where you were and don't move."
Scarcely had the lawyer gone eff with this
valuable counsel than the rival one appeared
equally fustered, perspiring and anxions to
learn secret thrust. For" said he, "my
antagonist is desperate, murderOus man."
Gatechair laughed, and seeing how the
wind Law, gave to this second lawyer a
to the first one. Accordingly when
the two met on the morrow, nothing
would induce either of them to bulge an
inch. Hand lifted, foil motionless, eye visit
tul and expectant, they both stood and sur
veyed one another "The man is playing
deep game" muttered the first, within him
self; "he wants me to run on him and then
he would spit mel" eff lie thinks am 90
ing to step forward and let him prick me
through the stomach, he is out of his reck-
oning," unused the second, prudently; and
they might have gone on cycling each other
to this day had not the seconds, in disgust,
cepted with the more alacrity as the arms of
the combatants had begun to ache beyond
endurance. So they shook hands, but each
went home with the unalterable conviction
that he had had a narrow escape of his life. |
All fencing masters, however, are not SO
facetions as M. Gatechair, and most Of them
take a very pardonable delight in initiating
their pupils in the mysteries Of
SECRET THRUSTS.
1t is the pride of every true prcrost d'armes
to have " secret thrust " Of his own inven-
ton, and his greatest pride of all is when
he can experiment this thrust o p,erost. |
Charles Lever has given tale of two French /
military fencing masters who loved one an
other tendcrly, but who yet mourned. with
an altogether artistic and professional re-
greet that they had never had an opportuni-
ty of crossing swords in earnest. They re
GREETED this as friends in other walks Of life
do the fact of never having been on a pleas
IRE trip together; but they always main
tanned 4 discreet silence on the grief which
was corrodng both their noble hearts One
Sunday, being out on country walk to-
yether, they had been pacing speechless side
BY side for some distance, and perhaps both
were thinking, as usual, Of the happy fight
between them that might have been, when
they came upon small lawn.
well sheltered with trees, and with
4 .,.l,A