The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-09
Life in Brittany.

tVh OhVJ ohD puitS o"e JOWcfto, quito uii
ferent from all other populations. They
combine the sombre, taciturn nature oI
the Spaniard with the droll, wild life OF
the Irish. 1t Is difficult to understand
how the same people can be silent and
noisy-reserved and running over with
jolllty. Yet so It is There must be a
strain of tiger in u population which
could amuse itself as lately as 1S47 In
cutting the life out of friends with a
whip made after this fashion; Lash,
eighteen feet long, swelling at little
distance from the handle to the thick
ness of mans arm, from whence 1t
tapered to twisted and strongly knot
ted end, made more like knife by the
help of mixture of glue. This play
thing was fixed upon strong, stiff
stick and often not only cut man into
steaks, but sometimes cut out the life of
him at n single stroke. Yet a local
historian gives an account of fete
which he attended in 1s47, at which the
chief attraction was contest between
deadly weapons. The smack of these
whips made, he says, much more noise
than gunshot; they could be heard at
the distance of two and half miles, and
when several smack their whips in con-
cert, the noise is SO terrible that one
must either run away or stop up ones
ears. These twelve men were ranged
opposite one another at distance almost
corresponding to the length of the lashes
of their whips. They stood up, having
for protection in the shape of dress only
short felt breeches, and shirts made of
stout sail-cloth. Like all Breton peas
ants of the old style, their hair hung
down their backs in long tresses, but
was cut straight across the forehead,
after the fashion of Gainsborough's
Blue Boy" They wore no hats or
head-covering. The left arm was naked,
but the right arm, which held the whip,
was protected from the fist to the neck
by an armlet or shield of thick leather.
The sides were distinguished by the
color. of the tuft of their whips, the one
being white, the other red.
These men thus standing face to face
were there to be wounded almost to
death for the glory thereof, and also for
the prize, which consisted of half
dozen striped OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES and
a pound of tobacco. The signal given
by an old peasant, the combatants put
themselves into the attitude of defiance,
the whip raised, while the lash was held
in the left hand. Strike" said the
same voice, and the twelve cables were
let loose in an instant, but no smack
was heard, as they met twisted, and
in mid air.
Those most renowned quickly disen-
gagged their lashes, and dealt the second
and dreadful blow upon the persons of
their antagonists, opening up long
seams of livid or bleeding flesh; on the
third stroke, all the faces except two
were scanned and flowing with blood.
These two were the leaders-one tall,
the other short; one heavy, the other
light; one all flesh, the other, although
only five feet high, all nerves and
sinews. An outsider would have back
ed the giant, but the boys of Pipriac
knew too we'll the prowess of the dwarf
to risk their money against him.
The combat now ragged with fury;
men disdained to parry, they were only
eager to strike. The sound was that of
q volley of musketry. The lashes soften
into tow, but harden again and glue
themselves together with blood. The
faces are no longer human; the long
hair hangs down in front, bathed in
perspiration and blood. But not one
blow has fallen on either champion.
they have reserved themselves; they
have guarded and parried, knowing that
upon them the issue of the fight did
depend. But now the tall man has
hit home. A long blue spiral mark,
which here and there squirts blood,
twists round the left arm of the little
Joseph, and makes him stagger with
pain. He recovers himself, launches
his whip at his foe, and but six inches
between its deadly point and
the face of Joseph the great. Animated
by his first success, Kaer stepped for
ward and bent his whole strength to
the blow which he aimed at Josille. The
little man never parried the blow, but
pirouetted, as it were, while without any
effort he threw out his lash softly. The
blow of Kaer missed; but when Iosille
sharply drew back his lash, the whole
face of Kaer was cut in half-a gigantic
gap opened up the very bones. These
two stood alone in the lists; the rest had