The San Francisco call., 1901-12-08


ated could hardly understand how with
such swords they could escape cutting
each other all to pieces.
Without ceremony the umpire mounted
a bench at one side with a schoolboy's
slate IN his hand. The two seconds. both
of whom were armored almost as effect
ively as their chiefs, especially about the
eyes and shoulders. lifted their hats and
bowed The umpire lifted his hat. The
duelists said nothing at all, but looked
into each others eyes. At word from
the umpire the seconds removed the corps
hats from the duelists. so that they stood
barchesded. This is the sign that there is
no withdrawal
The seconds now spring to their places
with feet widespread, each just at the left
Of his chief. The spectators crowd back a
pace, for sometimes the points of those
swords fly far. Each duelist clenches his
left hand behind him IN the lacings of his
armor. Up 60 the swords with a fash.
the points nearly touching the ceiling.
There is a moments pause, distressing
enough to one not Injured to duels. Then
one second shouts: bind swords"
Instantly each of the seconds rests the
point of his sword behind that of his
chief so that he may not strike until the
final word is given. Bound" comes the
reply, followed Immediately by the shout
ed word. LOS" doose).
There was a downward rush of black
padded arms, fash of swords. din Of
clsshing steel, and then. before the battle
seemed fairly begun there was a shouted
Halt" and the seconds rushed in with
their swords and threw UP the blades of
the fighters So quickly was it over with
that one imagined there must have been
some mistake, but this was merely the
first round. 1t had lasted perhaps five sec
onds, and there had not been to exceed
four swift strokes and parties of each
duelist's sword The chief surgeons came
UP and examined the duelist's heads in
the most matter-of-fact and businesslike
manner There were no wounds. A fell
low-corpsman lifted the sword arm of
each fighter, holding it out horizontally.
and another supported each sword. A duel
imposes a hard strain on the fighters
sword arm, heavily padded as it is. and it
must be thus held up between rounds.
Everything had been done with much
seriousness and formaIity. especially the
examination of the surgeons. and the
round had been so short and so bloodless,
that an outsider could not help feeling
that German student duel had its ire
sistiby humorous side.
A moment sufficed for the rest. Again
the swords went UP. again the seconds
shouted. and again at the word Los the
clashing of swords began. this time more
swiftly and fercely. Suddenly we saw
lock of hair shoot from the head of one
Of the fighters instantly followed by the
shouted Halt of the seconds and the
upward sweep of the swords. The hair
had fallen from the purple-Bavarian the
umpire marked down credits for the green
-Tyrolean. Again the surgeons made an
examination. There were no wounds. but
there needed no other evidence as to the
keenness of the. blades than the smooth
cir hat
Of hair had been clipped. We could see
the bare place above the Bavarian's ear
where II had been. The Tyrolean corps
man was slightly taller than his oppo-
nent. though not so powerful of build
He wore heavy black mustache. The
Bavarian had been slightly pale from the
first, but absolutely unwaverlng.
The third round was already beginning
with that peculiarly shrill Los Appar-
emily there were only two fierce flashes
Of the swords before the shouted Halt"
Of the seconds. But this time the sur
geons hurried forward more eagerly
Across the Bavarian's cheek. from the
ear nearly to the corner of the mouth
there was a long. livid line. just begin
ming to drip. The sword had cut almost
through the cheek Both duelists step
ped back. and the chairs were advanced
that they could lean against the backs:
sit down comfortably. We saw now
where all the blood came from. The doc
tors were busy with cotton, but they did
not attempt to put on bandages. We
were just beginning to feel relieved that
blood had at last been shed and that the
duel was well over with. when the COM
bstants again advanced, measuring 4
swords distance between them and lift
ing their blades. Again there were the
CHI fod nd he
gan with the din of parried blows We
had quite mistaken the nature of Ger
man student duel in thinking that first
blood counted in any way except on the
umpire's slate.
In the fifth round the Bavarian returned
the cut, slashing the Tyrolean across TIE
scelp, so deeply that the blood instantly
gushed down over his forehead and from
his spectacles to the floor Again there
was a rest on the chairs. This wound
was so deep that not only was cotton ap-
piled, bit narrow leather disk was
passed across it and fastened down to
the ear straps on each side This did not
seem, however, to stop the flow of blood.
Indeed. the surgeons in these duels never
attempt to ouench the wounds, for the
excellence of the performance depends ON
a liberal flow of blood
After each wound the swords were
wiped with cotton dipped in the antiseptic
solution, for the German dueist is moth
ing If he is not scientific. As the rounds
progressed we saw more clearly how the
fighting was done. There was none of the
movement and activity of the ordinary
swordsman's conflict, none of the spIen-
did clash and parry, or advance and re-
treat. The duelists stood stock still; ii
was dishonor to give way by an inch: it
was dishonor to move the head in the
least or to dodge a blow, no matter how
severe the wound. The entire contest
consisted in holding up the sword arm,
and in so using the hand and wrist that
the point of the sword would slash the
opponents head. Much depends on the
strength and endurance of the right fore
arm, for upon it fall most of the blows,