Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-05-15
A GENTLEMAN
COWBOY IN PARIS
TOriginal.l ]

The prof ftesSional duelst who is an
short sword in Germany or the pistol
in both, W so picks Qiiarreis ssjth stran-
gers for the purpose Of adding one
more to his Est Of killed. still exists
and will exist as long as duelinG is ir
fashion. During Il recent trip abroad
one of these cases came under my no
tice. Indeed | took an active pai't in
it.
l was dining o4e evening at Il Paris
cafe with my old friend. Ned yrnel of
st. Louis. when Il Gapper i're4cl,lHaU
at q neigl3or;ag table siiA'ai!y s,s:zed
a wine glass and threw tie contents
in Ned's face. Ned j:.n!:1ta for the
man and knoel:ed him dove. l.Ht vz3laa
he arose. instead Of att;Irl....t& y. j IN
turn, he pulled cut IL csH;, AL t..ee5v
it Oh the table When as.:esl W:-a5
was the cause Of lis tl4roN-:s!@ the
wine, he SAID chat Ned aal .cyhe;l at
him insu:tingly and had ta2:l t,:r?1:sa
to me ana made some "~laar,. a..o;st
him. CT course this Was Il .aere PIE
text He was Il duelist a3d had select,
ed Ned for one Of his Victims.
SUPPOSE. NJ. Bichot." said-that
was the n:sme on the carl-.NE i'..e..a
declines to meet YOU. what them"
81 VIII Ho justified in shooting him
down wherever | can tial him"
''Then you VII lie guiliotined for
murder"
lie shrugged his shoulders as only
Frenchman caH. IL" s}lf'i- and his
expression cioar.y sad. The cn"rts of
France would never 1:.sl il!e guilty il
such Il c2sa.'
I concu,ed that il was best 20 @4rce
to a meeting. ..onin@ TO ti::l >o:.}c Way
out of it before it could ta:;a rs,ce.
told NJ I;iel.ot that world act fa4 ~
friend. and ne introt,3r"(; i7e t. "a CON
panioli who actoG t9r h;l;. n et3t.r 80
gain time appointed IA" ~ a1jH-, Tor
the second instead Of tl.a neNt day
and insisted on pistols fer weapons
Ned could not fence at all antl WAS a
very poor shot. After arranging ev-
erything Ned and went to our hotel,
Ned to sleep for he Was happy go
lucky sort OF fellow that nothing trou.
bled; to spend the night thinking out
a plan to head off the Frenchman.
In the morning | went to the Latin
quarter, where I found an American
art student, Mark Winter, whom !
coached to help me. He was to seek
out Bichot, secure an introduction, in
vite him to drink with him and tell
him stories of the cowboys of America
and their wonderful proficiency with
the revolver. He was to mention his
acquaintance with an American gen.
tleman, then in Paris, who had lived
a cowboys life. inviting Bichot to a
display Of his skill.
All this Winter accomplished very
happily and adroitly. A cowboy soiree
was arranged for the same afternoon
In Winters studio. When the guests
had assembled. Ned walked in. was
presented to the company, bowed
to them and. pretending not to see
Bichot. proceeded to select a revolver
from several on Il table. saw it all
through pinhoe in Il screen. in the
center Of which | had arranged tar
get, OofFoWeu from SiCotius Sallefy.
l had my eye on Bicnot, who the mo-
ment he saw Ned enter the room turn
ed as white as a sheet. I afterward
learned that the rapier was the duel
lists strong point, and he never used
the pistol when he could help it. Ned
was well calculated to play the part
OF a cowboy. l was only afraid he
would overdo it.
Gentlemen" he said in bad French,
e-h:s room is = very cramped n!ece to