The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-04-10
CHAPTER ~.

their rapiers in fierce and guard with
a cleverness that would have brought
out cheers from an American audience
to make the very rafters ring, while
three score of Germans sat or stood
around. watching every move, with a
grim silence that was only broken by
the clash Of steel upon steel, or the
sharp cries OF the umpire directing
the affair.
Those lights, had never shone upon
more gallant fight, and each student
Rugged himself with delight because
fortune had been kind enough to
make him q witness to 1t.
Those most experienced In such
matters saw, however, that when ten
minutes OF this terrific work had pass
ed BY with but a few slight cuts on
either side, Hoffman was gathering his
forces and preparing to end the duel
with one of his hitherto invincible
tactics, and they trembled for the
brave American.
To Karls eager inquiries during an
interval between the bouts, Paul only
gave a short laugh and assured his
second he was but playing with his OBJ
ponent.
Again the rivals faced, but this time
Paul was in deadly earnest, and amid
clash of steel it was seen that Hoff-
mans face was covered with blood.
Then the sonorous voice of the UNI
pire was heard calling halt while
the surgeons ascertained just how
serious the Prussian's wound might be.
Hoffman seemed to be wildly pleading
with him to tell the battle to go on
it was his first defeat and unusually
bitter-but the doctor, realizing the
gravity of the wound, was memorable.
"Abfuhr!" he called out, signifying
that the Prussian should be allowed to
fight no more.
The umpire repeated the word, and
In a loud voice declared the result in
the stereotyped phrase:
"Saxo-Prussian is led away"
Then something occurred that had,
perchance, never been heard upon a
similar occasion-the glorious result
the signal downfall Of the proud duel
list who had lorded it over them so
long, was too much for the students
to witness without giving relief to
their pent-up feelings.
"Hoch. hoch, hoch the American!"
they shouted. And "hoch, hoch, hochn
1t was while they bore Rhinelander,
bloody as he was, into the ante-room
to resume his street dress.
Paul had received a few slight
scratches, but fortune had been very
kind to him in this respect, for none
of them were more than bagatelles.
AS he, dressed again for the street,
was about to break away from the adj
miring groups that surrounded him, he
saw tall figure pressing through the
throng, and recognized the Englishman
who had been assisting the surgeon
who attended his bout. His eyes, blue
as the summer skies, beamed with good
nature, and Paul was drawn to him un-
consciously.
Then, too, the impulsive clasp Of his
hand, how hearty it was after almost
formal congratulations of the Ger
mans! Well, blood seems thicker than
water, after all, and the day is surely
coming when these cousins may stand
shoulder to shoulder for peace
throughout the whole world.
IA thousand congratulations, my
dear boy. 1t was beautifully done
and am proud to have been q wit
ness to your victory. hope we may
meet again. Sir Noel Travers is my
name. and am probing into the COL
leges and hospitals of our German
cousins
Paul was dragged away by his COM
rades at this juncture, but he had a
singular premonition that he would
run across this big, frank Briton again
at some uncertain future date.
To PauYs lodgings they rode. The
day passed as had others, but Paul dis
covered what he had not known before.
that he had many warm friends in the
university.
And, of course, he was by courtesy
compelled to accept their invitation
to be a guest Of honor at the grand
meeting in the Kneipe or korps drink
ing all that night, where the famous
salamander with its chorus and pound
ing of empty beakers on the table
opened and closed the festivities
Still he was glad when the end came
and he could leave the hall without
giving offense, for other matters of a
personal nature demanded his at
< -ltion.
One Of the objects that had brought
him to Europe-to Germany gave
promise Of being attained.
He had seen the one he sought, the
sister who had for SO many years been
lost to him.
How the memory of her thrilled him,
and what agony swept through his
mind as he remembered in whose
company he had seen her.
The name of Hoffman, what curse
1t had been to his father. Was the
son fated to perpetuate his sire's in