Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1880-09-18

there was no danger of death, and | was
told that rs soon as the present wounds
should heal, he would probably be engaged
in another duel. The other duelst had not
suffered SO badly. He was already dressed,
and had nearly got through with the finish.
ing touches from the surgeons hands. His
head was bandaged and several strips of
sticking.paster adorned his face in zig.zag
courses across his cheeks and forehead. In
the afternoon | saw him promenading on
the Leopold Strasse, evidently proud of his
disfgured face.
Passing the hospital room, in which we
did not tarry long to scrutinize, we entered
the dueling hall, large, high room about
so feet long, 80 wide. The second duel
was in progress, of which we had been fore
warned by hearing the clash of swords in the
outer room. Had I not been anticipating
bloody and brutal spectacle, the sight SO
suddenly revealed to me would have stag
gered my nerves. At one end of the hall
and facing each other were the two duel
lists engaged in what appeared to be
deadly combat. The face of one was so
covered with blood that could not recog-
nize his features. The red gore was drop
ping from his nose and chin, and red streams
were trickling down his bare back and
staining his shirt and trousers with Grim
son hue. The other duelist, although his
face was bloody, had evidently not been so
badly punished as his adversary. He had
only received so far, two or three slight
cuts on his face from which blood was flow
ing down his bosom. Each wore aprons
originally made from some white material
that looked MS if they had seen long SER
vice in n slaughter house, and so they had,
for they were almost black with the human
gore that had accumulated from many
previous duel. Their heads were bare,
their faces unprotected, save by black steel
goggles without glasses which covered
their eyes. Heavy wrappings of silk
layer upon layer-were wound around their
necks, and their sword-arms were encased
in thick shields or sleeves, wadded or pad
ded with cotton so that the sharpest blade
could not penetrate them. Aside from
these precautions they were at the mercy
of each others swords.
While making those hurried observations
and endeavoring to fully comprehend the
CHASTITY scene, the duel was fiercely raging.
1t was no child's play, as I had once sup
posed it to be. Both combatants were
about 80 years of age, athletes in size and
strength, and had been practising for years
under skilled professors for such an occa-
sion as this. They were in terrible earnest
aud their long sharp swords played over
each others heads with lightning-like
rapidity, but SO skilfully were the blows
parried that most of the wounds were only
caused by the bending or the breaking of
the blades. The moment the sword be.
came disabled, which was constantly occur
ring, the seconds interfered and cried
Halt, and the uplifted arms came to
a rest. While waiting for fresh weapons
to be brought the mombers of the respect
i've corps gathered about them, some bring
ing wine or water for them to drink, others
wiping the flowing blood from their heads
and faces with wet sponges, and assisting
the surgeons to hastily bind up some deep
cut wound with lint and impromptu ban
dages. Soon as fresh swords, which had
been sharpened like razors, were brought
and placed in their hands, there was no
ceremony or waiting. The seconds gave
the signal and the two men sprang forward
at each other like blood.hounds. Steel
clashed against steel again, sparks flew as
if from blacksmith forge, and tufts of
hair, cut as if by invisible hands, were
waited long distances from each others
heads. Occasionally squirt of blood would
tell that bad wound had been given, and
the seconds would interfere while the sur
geons could examine and hastily quench
the flowing current. The duelist who first
attracted my attention by his CORY face was
nv, lnstl, h. r Al
At every encounter he received fresh
wounds, and imagination could not picture
worse sight than he presented. Blood
was flowing down his face and body like
rain and forming little pools in the sawdust
that was scattered around his feet The
scene reminded me of the bnll.fights that l
had witnessed in Spain, only this was the
more brutal and inhuman of the two. 1t
seemed every moment as if the man would
from the loss of blood fall back dead in the
arms of his comrades, who were watching
the conflict with terrible eageruess and sus-
pense. But not for q moment did he show
signs OF weakness, or disposition to give
up the combat. Two or three times he
signalled for rest that his friends might
wipe the blood that had gathered in his
SJo' "n" o''nuSu u'o o'Suo' n SioSo VI VIA
ter that was held to his lips became as red
as port wine from the blood that flowed
into it from his face, but noticed that he
drank it all the same. His adversary, it
was evident, was at the end to be the
champion, although he had received some
bad cuts, one of which came near severing
his nose. He was the superior swordsman
aud had given five wounds where he had
received one. The man opposite him, the
bloody man, was to be the .un6sr dog in
the Tight" The contest had lasted 80
minutes--it seemed hours, aud would have
continued until one had been killed had not
the two surgeons iaterfered and ended the
fight. They examined carefully the wounds
of the "under dog" and pronounced them
SO serious that the fight was pronounced at
an end, and the two gladiators, leaning and
partly supported on the arms of their
brother students, We're led out into the hos
pital to have their wounds dressed.
Thus ended the second duel, which was
fought by member of the white-cap, aud
one of the green-cap corps. The third duel
which was next to take place, was to be-
betwee q red.cap aud n preen.can Thsra