St. Paul daily globe., 1893-02-26

his side and intercepted the missile just
above the elbow. That accident saved
his life.
Both men left the field angry, and
remember hearing De Mores complain
bitterly on the journey back to Paris
that the regulation charge of powder
was too small to kill at the prescribed
distance, that is, twenty metres. He
emphasized the fact that this ball had
not even broken the bone of his ad-
versary's arm. There is no question
but that certain precautions of this
kind have been approved by general
usage in Paris with the idea of making
duel with pistols less murderOus.
But for these, and the fact already
noticed, that experts in the gallery
often cease to be such on the field,
there would be terrible percentage Of
deaths in these encounters.
One of the favorte exercises at Re-
nette's gallery is the shooting at small
plaster images made to move past at
different rates of speed. The younger
Dumas, who has had many dueling expe-
rienceS. is great adept at this, though
of recent years he has not practlced as
much as formerly. He has never for
gotten the tragic duel i'll which his
ldlu6T WAS COnC6TU0u WleIl Ns OuJdllCL,
of La Presse, was killed.
Another feat, something of a trick,
however, consists of throwing coin
ball. Dozens of Renette's pupils can do
this three times out of four.
BOulanger Was "a Good Shot.
At the time of his great popularity,
Gen. Boulanger used to visit this gallery
frequently, and number of his car
tons are still on exhibition there, or
were a few years ago. The "braYe
general" was better shot than he was
a swordsman. He used to practice in
butf-colored suit with short jacket and
very tight-fitting trousers.
Boulanger's old adversary, the present
president of the chamber of deputies,
NJ. Charles FloQuet. who is in fair way
to have new series of dueiS on his
hands, is too near-sighted to become a
very accurate shot, although he has
made some fair records. President Car
not himself used topractice at Renette's
before he was elected to the Elysee, and
his cartons are shown to visitors with
pride.
Perhaps the most formidable pistol
shot who visits Gastinne-Renette's gal
lery is the tempestuous orator, Paul de
CaSSagnac, editor Of the imperiaiiSt
organ, LAutorite. NJ. de Cassagnac
stands over six feet, and is broad and
heavy in proportion. He looks like an
Indian, talks like flood tide and fights
like a cyclone. He has probably taken
part in more dueis than any man in
France, and is absolutely fearless. One
popularity about NJ. de Cassagnac's
method Of firing is that he never takes
aim, or at least not as other experts do.
He gauges the line between his weapon
and the mark in some such way as
a base ball player aims the ball he
is throwing-seeing only the mark. The
consequence is that while not capable of
such wonderful show feats as many
other patrons of the gallery, such as
hitting bird on the wing, or shooting
ive-franc piece off his toe, NJ. de Cas-
sagnac, when it come to the pinch. al
ways lands his bullet near enough to
mark to make it exceedingly unpleas-
ant for the other fellow, and what is of
greater moment still, he seems to shoot
better in duel than at any other time.
Made DE Cassagnac
Weaken.
81 don't pretend to split hairs with
pistol ball.' he told a vain-glorlous
marksman one day, "but L can split
hearts all right when it is necessary"
A cynical man is NJ. de CasSagnac.
One Of the most celebrated pistol shots
in France, and man who was often
seen at Renette's before his exile to
London, was Henri Rochefort, the Bit
ter pamphleteer who alone is able to
dispute with M. de CaSsagnac for the
palm among living duelists. When [
called M. Rochefort a celebrated pistol
shot, | mean that he is celebrated rather
for his daring than for his skill, which,
as matter of fact, is not of the highest
order.
That consideration, however, has
never held him back from meeting any
one who gave or found cause upon
the champs d'honneur. He aud M.
de Cassagnac have been bitter
enemies for years, and more than
one challenge has passed between
them. Twenty years ago they fought for
the first time, the weapons being pistols.
Rochefort missed entirely. whereupon
de CasSagnac coolly planted bullet in
his adversary's left side, where it
struck an image of the virgin, giving
Rochefort lease of life and chance
to crack one of his inimitable jokes. A
few years later Rochefort. maddened by
the attacks of his rival, challenged him
to duel a la mort, in which he pro-
posed to stand at ten PAGES with pistols,
only one of which should be loaded. M.
de Cassagnac, for the only time in his
life, refused to fight under such con-
dltlonS.