Evening star., 1902-04-19
THEIR HUMOROUS SIDE
DUELING AFFAIRS ARE NOT
ALWAYS SERIOUS.
In Fact, There is Generally Far Morss
Comedy Than Tragedy in
the Combats.
From Tit-Rfts

From It'll Bits.
Dueling still 7ourishes on the continent.
but, although one occasionally hears Of a
fatal result. there is far more comedy than
tragedy in the so-called affaires d'honneur
of the present day.
Nothing could have been more farcicaf
than the Deroulede-B Buffet AFFAIR. In which,
it will be remembered each party, while
loudly proclaiming his intention to fight to
the death, took every possible care to avoid
the other. The duel between Count Boni
de Castellane and NJ. de Rodays director
of the Figaro. is another recent instance,
1t is said that considerable astonishment
was expressed when it was found that the
journalist had been wounded. Such an OUT
come Of the fight was unlocked for, ana
when Ii is considered that the bullets used
by French combatants are generally faxed,
little surprise need be expressed at the
farcical termination of so many duels
French journalists are famous for tbeir
dueling propensities. once every year the
Paris newspapers publish a list of their
correspondents and contributors, with their
various accomplishments appended after
their names. In these lists records OF for.
mer duels stand out prominently among
their achievements. In fact, II would seem
from an examination of these lists that it
is sine qua non for the tenure of his posi-
ton that every Paris newspaper man
should Tight at least one duel a year.
Fighting Under an Umbrella.
However many of these duelists seem to
enter upon their encounters in a very happy
frame of mind. The eminent French critic
Sainte-Beuve during an encounter with an
offended author lifted an umbrella to pros
tect himself against a few raindrops His
seconds pointed out that this was Offering
much better mark to his adversary. ''I
cannot help it," answered sainte-Beuve; "L
came TO stand fire. not water"
A good story is told Of noted Russian
swashbuckler who fought a duel with a
Polish painter. The latter gentleman was
the insulted party. and on the advice of an
ingenious friend selected field cannon as his
weapon. and the officer, finding that nobody
would back him up in refusal had to ac.
quiesce. Two field pieces were procured
gunners employed to load them. and the
combatants were instructed how to pull
the firing string al a given signal The
Russian ought to have known that an up-
slight, would cause the balls to go whizzing
yards above the combatants' heads But
he was so unnamed by the novelty OF his
position that when the guns went of with
an appalling noise he gave a leap into the
air and fell fat on his face. A second shot
being proposed, he would have none Of IL,
but apologized.
Not long ago a French critic was chal.
lenged to duel by a comedian whom he
had offended. The two combatants formed
striking contrast-the critic being ex-
tremely corpulent. while the actor was
small and spare. But before they took no.
sitions the actor gravely approached his op-
ponent. drew a line with a piece of chalk
on the latter's waistcoat and said: Let us
equalize the chances; any hit I make out
side this line shan't count" OF course the
critic laughed, and in a moment both were
good friends once more.