Middletown transcript., 1892-06-23
THE STORY or A DUEL.

kAE OAVAl VA a DV@
"6OMRADEsl have you heard
~ the newsi A man hath come
forward to answer the challenge of
Jacopo the Swordsman y
This announcement, made in one OF
the principal streets of Florence on q
fine summer morning in the latter
part of the sixteenth century, was quite
sufficient to gather an excited crowd
round the speaker the instant he utter
ed It; for Jacopo BslIoni (popularly
known as Jacopo the Swordsman,"
from his deadly skill in fencing) was
widely renowned as the most formid-
able prize-fghter in ell Italy, although
(according to the custom of those
times) he fought, not with his fists,
but with his sword.
The redoubtable Jacopo had already
killed three or four fencers Of renown
who had ventured to encounter him,
and then, finding that people seemed
to be getting rather ahy Of testing his
proves, he had lately issued formal
challenge to all comers, and had offer.
ed to stake q pretty large sum of
money upon the result.
This challenge, however, had al
ready been thrice repeated without
any one appearing particularly
anxious to accept it and therefore it
was no great wonder that the an
nouncement quoted above should have
been received With looks and exclama.
tions Of doubt, and even OF fat dis
tbelist.
at is impossible, Mas Tom).
No man living would be 50 mad =
1t must be o jest-and sorry one
too"
"Or else Maso is lying. Confess
that thou are lying, according to thy
custom, brother Maso, and we will
i forgive thee !"
4 "Laugh if ye will, my friends" said
Maso, slightly affrontsd, "but lie not
1t stands writ out in the Market Place,
full fair to see, that there is man
resdy to meet Jacopo on the seventh
morning from to-day"
"Then there is one more fool in the
town than I thought" grunted a stout
armorer," "and there will soon be one
less"
"Who is the man p He must >bt
q stranger here, or he would know
better"
al can not tell, !" said Maso; "for, al
though his challenge is fairly writ
there is no name signed to it"
"Then it must needs be q jest
growled sturdy butcher, beside him
"No jest, faith" cried Maso $50
: he hath staked one thousand five hun
dred pistoles on the event."
: Incredible as Maso's news appeared
however, it was speedily and Eurel.
! confirmed, and the tidings Of the ex
pected combat few abroad like wild
fire, kindling universal excitement
! 4 When the day appointed for the fgh
came, not only all Florence, but al
the country round seemed to hav
gathered to watch the sport, and j
y the ranks of the spectators were to b
! seen young mobiles from all the great
4 est families in Northern Italy.
I The stage upon which the tw
champions were to meet was a larg
Q platform Of smooth planking (thickl
strewn with sawdust to keep their fes
from sllpping), which, being fu
thirty feet in length by at lea
r twenty in breadth, gave ample spae
for all their movements. At eitht
end of the stage was q smaller plat
form, on which stood tent Of viii
canvas /; and upon these tents all ey
were fixed in eager expectation, Fl
they hid from sight the heroes.
Presently one of the tents was SET
to open, and forth stepped the famol
Jacopo Belloni himself, bowling conde
- cendingly in acknowledgment of Il
laundering cheers that greeted b
appearance.
The renowned swordsman's ia
active, sinewy figure was . perfe
- model of well-trained agility al
strength ; but his dark, lean, wolf
]. face, with lis hooked nose, sloping fol
= head, bristly black moustache, VIII
teeth, and fierce, restless gray e
(which was turned hungrilY upon t
ur opposite tent were unpleasantly su
az : gestive of some ferocious beast Of pre-
'pe And now the other tent opened
Tits turn, and long cry Of astonis
ment broke from every lip. The m
who was about to encounter the dres