St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-02-14
The Recent Great French Duel.
Mark Twain in the February Atlantic.

stitutions of our day. Since it is always
fought in the open air, the combatants
are nearly sure to catch cold. M. Paul
de Cassagnac, the most inveterate of the
French duelists, has suffered so often
in this way that he is at last a confirm
ed invalid and the best physician in
Paris has expressed the opinion that if
he goes on dueling for fifteen or twenty
years mOre-unless he forms the habit
of fighting in comfortable room where
damps and draughts cannot intrude-
he will eventually endanger his life.
This ought to moderate the talk of those
people who are so stubborn in main
tanning that the French duel is the most
healthful of recreations because of the
Open-air exercise it affords. And it
ought also to moderate the foolish talk
about French duelists and socialist
hated mOnarchs being the only people
who are immortal.
But it is time to get at my subject.
AS soon as | heard of the late fiery out
break betweem NJ. Gambetta and NJ.
Fourtou in the French assembly, knew
that trouble must follow. | knew it be-
cause long personal friendship with
NJ. Gambetta had revealed to me the
desperate and implacable nature OF the
man. Vast as his physical proportions,
knew that the thirst for revenge would
penetrate to the remotest frontiers OF
his person.
| did not wait for him to call on me,
but went at once to him. AS expect
ed, found the brave fellow stepped in
a profound French calm. | say French
calm. because French calmness and
English caimness have points of differ
ence. He was moving back and forth
among the debris of his furniture, now
and then staving fragments of it across
the room with his foot; grinding a con-
stant grit of curses through his sci
teeth and haltiug every little while tc
deposit another handful of his hair OIL
the pile which he had been building ot
it on the table.
He threw his arms around my neck
bent me over his stomach to his breast
kissed me on both checks, Rugged me
three or four times, and then placed mt
in his own armchair. AS soon as haC
got well again, we began business a
once.
said supposed he would wish IN,
to act as his second, and he said so
course" | said | must be allowed t.
act under a French name, so that
might be shielded from obloquy in my
country in case of fatal results. He wine
ed here, probably at the suggestion tina
dueling WAS not regarded with respec
! in America. However he agreed to m!
requirement. This accounts for the fac
that in all the newspaper reports NJ
Gambetta's second was apparently ;
! Frenchman.
First we drew mp the principals will
insisted upon this, aud stuck to IN.
point. | said had never heard of !
man in his right mind going out to tigh
Il duel without first making his will. H'
said he had never heard OF Il man in hi
right mind doing anything of the kind
When we had finished the will, h.
wished to proceed to il choice of hi
last words" He wanted to know hoy
the following words, as a dying eXcla
nation struck me =
IL die for my God, for my country
for freedom of speech, for progress, AM
the universal brotherhood of man ~
| objected that this would require to-
lingering death ; it WIS good speec
for consumptive, but not suited to th
eXigencies of the field of honor. w
wrangled over Il good many ante-mor
TEN outbursts, but | finally got him t
cut his obituary down to this, which h
copied into his memorandum book, pur
posing to get it by heart -
II DIE THAT FRANCE MAY LIVE"
| said that this remark seemed to lac
relevancy but he said relevancy was
matter of no consequence in last word
what you wanted was thrill.
The next thing in order was the choic
of weapons. My principal said he WA
not feeling well and would leave tina
and the other details of the propose
meeting to me. Therefore | wrote tn
following note and carried it to N
FOurtOu's friend =
Sir: NJ. Gambetta accepts NJ. Foul
tou's Challenge, and authorizes me t
propose Plessie-Piqnet as the place {
meeting; Tomorrow morning at day
break as the time and axes as th
weapons. | am, with great respect,
MARK TWAIN.
NJ. Fourtou's friend read this note n
shuddered. Then he turned to me, an
said with a suggestion of severity in hi
tone:-
"Have you considered, sir, wha
would be the inevitable result of sue
meeting as this 7"
"Well, for instance, what UOuld
be?n
"Bloodshedr
''That's about the size of it," l sale
= "NOw if it is a fair question, what wa
your side proposing to shed 7"
/ had him there. He saw he had mad
a blunder, so he FASTENED to explain
away. He said he had spoken jestingly
Then he added that he and his princip;
would enjoy axes, and indeed preft
them, but such weapons were barred b
the French code, and so | must chang
my proposal.
, | walked the floor, turning the thin
over in my mind, and finally it occurre
to me that Gatling guns at fifteen pace
would be likely way to get a verde
on the field of honor. So framed tn
idea into a proposition.
But it was not accepted. The cod
was in the way again. proposed rifles
then, double -barrelled shot-guns the
5 Colts navy revOlvers. These being a
rejected, reflected awhile, and sarca,
tically suggested brickbats at three
quarters of mile. l always hate to fOo
away humorous thing on person wh
has no perception of humor; and
filed me with bitterness when this ma
went soberly away to submit the las
= proposition to his principal.
He came back presently, and said h
principal was charmed with the idea
, brick bats at three-quarters of mil
but must decline on account of the dan
ger to disinterested parties passing b,
tween. Then | said =
"Well, | am at the end of my strin
nOW Perhaps YOU would be kin