The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-06-28
\ MOST PECULIAR DUEL
FOUGHT BYsYoUNG STUDENTS
n IN FRANCE.
How the American Saved Himself From
Death at the Hands of an Expert
swordsman Using Weapon Not
Recognized by the Code.

Swordsman - Using Weapon Not
Recognized by the Code.
81 am q firm believer in hypnotism,
scientific and otherwise said man
who looked as little like crank or
faddist as COULD we'll be imagined.
He was one of group talking Oh
occultism in general and this as
collateral, and when he made the
announcement there was an i'm
mediate demand for the reasons for
the faith that was in him.
Twenty years ago." he went on
in response to the demand, 81 was a
student in France, and, at that time,
hypnotism, or mesmerism, as it was
then known, Gid not hold the place
it now holds. On the contrary, the
believer in mesmerism was con-
sidered by a majority of the most
respectable people to be mentally
lax, so to speak. My roommate and
best friend was an American attend
ing a medical school, and both Of us
were more or less interested in
things occult.
Zone night on our way home from
small festivity. not at all in the
line OF occultism, we stopped at
well-known cafe, where a number of
giddy youths like ourselves were
| making a night of it, and when we
left the place Walter had duel on
his hands, with fiery young official,
who had been slapped in the face for
certain remarks, which, if Walter
had been duly sober, he would never
have:noticed. However, that was of
no avail now, and nothing was left
except to fight, and to fight, too,
with the Frenchman's choice of
weapons, as Walter was sthe chal-
slenger. What fool he was; what a
| fool I was; what fool the French
man was; what fools all tof us were.
OF course, all the arrangements de:
volved upon me as Walters friend,
and every move 1 made in the affair
seemed to me as if I were getting
Walter ready for his funeral under
his own direction. Forty-eight
hours was the limit Of my time for
such reflections, however,, and before
the expiration of that "a duel with
seconds had been arranged to take
place at daylight in the suburbs,
and poor Walter didn't know half as
much about a sword as he did about
a plOwshare, and he didn't know
enough about that to unave run a
straight furrow if it hadstbeen staked
out for him across a field, while the
/ n m
"Well, the time came, and we
were there promptly, with faint
hope in my palpitating bosom that
something would Interfere with the
other side to prevent an appearance,
But it went to pieces early; the
Frencuman was there hbefore we
were, and what was worse, he
showed signs of being e lad he was
| there. How [ did want &o5 take him
out to some quiet spot send wiring
Ibis Internal neck! And how hand
some Walter looked, pale, t,of course,
but the, very picture OF q man! And
1thow I felt when I Thought ,,of what
1tword I:might have to send home to
his dear old mother and father, an d
to tnat sister of his, who was more
Ito me than all the others!
''If both principals ahad been
FrencRamen [ might have rbeen les s
wrought up; but there wassan Amer
lean in it, and some body Was bound
to get hurt
Before we got down to business
Walter began to act queerly, and l
! thought; the strain was pncving too
great for him; but he whispered
ssomething to me- and I Watched the
Frenchman. Presently he abservel
Walkers rpeculiar motions and aac-
t tions, which were gust enough not, to
texcite comment, aRd they were. CON
fsinued until the two men cook their
Iplaces- 1t was evident the French
|rMan thought Walter was about Ito
EM ork some. Western trick ON him ITO
Offset his superior skill with the
sw ord, and ] he became more intent
tbhn ever. Walter was extremely
awkward with his Sword, hut he
managed toNkeep it il front of him.
:whsch he die with the point sticking
,lostpaight at his adversary He had
caught the Frenchma1's eye, mean
awhiAe, and as they advanced to ,1he
f.eneoEnter thought fHem the fixed
gazeaof monsieur that hhe had made
mp his mind to- stick Malter fuIa ,of
holes&n the hsst bout land end the
affair, $50 he aeuld get back to an
early breakfast. But it did not turn
osst tha5 way. for when they came
Within touching distances Walter.
his eyes firmly fixed on the French.
mam' S, threw his sword point slight.
ly to one side, aad the Frenchman's
followed it. Onee, twice, thrice.
he ATTEMPTED to snake thrust. but
invariably the sword flew vide
Monsaeur,s .secondsnoted the strange
actions 'of,their prhncipal, but could
| not account for it. aud at last Wal
ter, witaa a side swipe, as the bows
say in these days, fetched the Fnanch-
man a terrific .whack in the neck
with the fat OF his sword. very much
as if he had hit him with fence
rail, and knocked him out SO eop-
pletely that he could aot respond.
and for some time the surgeons