Evening star., 1901-08-24

ted the slapping, punching and jolting free
doms of his native land.
Let us hurry him around to F--'s es-
tabiishment. they said If any one can
put him In order II VIII be he"
F. is peculiar character. At one
time he Was a great though not celebrated
maitre d'armes. For years he languished
financially In a fencing academy which
his frank speech and freedom from pre-
tense prevented becoming popular. F.
would not Halter his pupils, for one thing.
Now he is proprietor Of gay little cafe
freqnented by fencing cranks and with q
cellar basement fitted up as q fencing
room F. always had. however, one
peculiar speciality which. had he been q
business man. he might have exploited to
the making OF his fortune but had he
peen business man he would not have
possessed the speciality 1t was and is
the art OF preparing inexperienced fencers
Tor the dueling ground. His greatest
service was always to give the would-be
dae,ist confidence and courage.
You must keep jabbing at his hand and
forearm. said F. equiyaientiy, H not In
these words
And do not worry too much" the old
expert. who has fought twenty dueis and
witnessed a hundred others. said reassur-
ingly. You will find your adversary-for
know hfm-doing in a complicated way
very much what have trained you to do
crudely. Work it on HIM 1t win bother
him.
Good-Bye Literature.
VIII not say the young American did
not write some high-f1own letters that
night.
The morning broke bright, blue and sun
ny. true midsummer dawn. Out on the
Auteuil race track-a good place and quite
favorite-the early dawn saw strange
maneuvers. Any one observing them would
have discovered, hunting cover behind tree,
fence, betting booths. grand stand and piles
a W. dQrf ryltt
ton of retiring persons What could they
be hiding there for? Half of them had
come on bicycles, which they had stacked
behind the grand stand.
Inc principals accompanied by their Sec
onds, surgeons and a few extra friends
not more than twenty-arrived upon the
neid at am. They did not dream, GER
tainiy, of the concealed crowd, or they
would have taken to their cabs Immediate
~ ana driven to more private spot Seem
ingly they were alone. and, seemingly, that
satisfied them. Certainly the young Ameri-
can had not the slightest Idea of showing
off his awkwardness before spectators. 1t
was all dead-earnest to him.
Business-Like PROCEEDINGS.
Yes. and 1t was dead earnest to his ad-
versary, the four seconds, the two sur
geons and their fifteen or twenty specially
invited friends. Every one, except the
young American, was glad to be there.
Painfully conscious that he had been forced
into an unnatural role, utterly at variance
with all his habits and convictions. he had
nevertheless made up his mind to get
through the business briskly, without any
sign OF fear. Perhaps. away back some
where, he had a consciousness that sur
geons and seconds would not let him get
hurt too badly.
His opponent looked perfectly cool and
bus1nesslike- Neither spoke to the other
Neither addressed his seconds. They pro-
duced the dueiing swords. measured and
tried their springiness. examined them with
care The young American heard vaguely
the director Of the combat asking the sec
onds ii there was no way of Arranging
the matter without bloodshed. He heard
their reply that they had done their best,
but that both principals were ''inf1exible." !"
Some one must have measured the ground
Some one put sword into his hand. He
found himself face to face with his enemy
and the fight began.
Now, the bushy-bearded Frenchman was
a fencer. He began in style. The young
American felt a complimentary tap upon
his steel, saw his opponent execute a
graceful flourish. heard the two swords
click upon each other once again and felt
the director of the combat knock them
both up with his own and heard him tell
them to begin again.
Remembered His Lesson.
Next time he realized that he must try
and do what F. had told him. You
must keep jabbing at his hand and fore
arm! He jabbed out as the bearded one
came at him. worry him with one. two
or three jabs aimed straight in front Of
you! Come back to guard, but retiring
your weapon only to jab It again at his
hand or forearm when he comes at you
again!" He did a good deal OF jabbing
There are those among the friends Of his
adversary who declare to this day that the
man must have been "out' before. and
that as for his Ignorance of fencing it was
all pretense.
1t is perhaps at this moment that an eIe-
ment Of chance declared itself in favor Of
the young American. His back was to the
grand stand and the other buildings. He
could not see what his opponent saw. the
crowd Of concealed spectators slipping. one
by one, into better positions for seeing the
fight.
Each went little farther than the other.
so that soon they had given up all pretense
OF concealment. Whether or not this tend
ed to surprise and dfsconcert the French
man. 1t will never be known. He says 1t
did not. He says he was bled skfllfully and
in perfectly gallant manner, by a correct
and courteous adversary. And how can
case, before you could have counted twenty
the Americans point ripped his sword arm
up from the wrist at least five inches, from
which wound blood spurted beautifully.
Both surgeons ran to the wounded man.
They had not examined him, tied him up.
and declared 1t impossible for him to con-
tlnue, De1Ore CrOWQ OF mixed friends and
strangers had surrounded them, all anxious
to see the blood flowing. 1t was distress
ing moment, quite irregular
A Fellow Feeling.
"Come, hurry out Of this!" the American
heard one of his seconds say; and soon they
were speeding across the field to the road
way where their cabs were stationed. Half
way across they ran up against a worthy
and correct old Engiishman, good friend
of the Americans. who threw his arms up
with gladness and relief at the sight Of
him.
Heavens. man." he exclaimed. I'm glad
to see you safe and sound! What horrible
imprudence! What downright wickedness!"
He pointed to two policemen sauntering
down the road. "Will you believe it." he
went on, when hurried out here to stop
this accursed duel came on those two DO
licemen standing there and calmly looking
at your preparations. I called on them in
the name of the law to stop the combat
They laughed at me. But what are You
here for asked, II not to prevent fight
ing" And what do you think they an
swered. We are here they said, to see
that nobody prevents them from lighting"
STERLING HEILIG