Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-02-19
The Irresistible Lunge.
toriginaI.1

broke out both ran away from home
to enlist. neither Of US being eighteen
years Of age. During the siege of
Santiago George was left wounded in
an exposed position. l went back and
carried him to safer place. He set
great store by an act which l consider
only the most natural In the world
and declared that he would never rest
content till he had repaid the debt.
But he did not recover from his wound
and in addition contracted typhoid
fever, Of which he died at Montauk
Point. He expired brooding over the
fact that he could not live to repay the
service l had done him.
When was mustered out Of the serv-
Ice l was offered commission In the
regular army, but I decided to study
medicine. While taking a finishing
course In Paris I unintentionally won
the regard Of II girl who, unfortunately
for me. had a lover already. Had l
known of this mans existence | should
have endeavored to keep the girl at n
distance. The first intfmation l had
Of him was ut supper ! was enjoying
with number Of my fellow students.
A man in passing behind me brushed
against me so forcibly as to knock
me of my chair Looking up at him. i
saw that his act was Intentional.
Quick as II fash I sprang at him and
knocked him down. Before he could
retaliate WAS seized by my compan-
Ions, and my antagonist. throwing
card at me- left the cafe. The card
bore the name Ut Antoine Dupuy. and
one OF my party informed me that he
was the lover of the girl who had hon.
ored me.
Well. ! was obliged to fight him
that is. saw no way Of avoiding meet
ing him under the Paris code without
subjecting myself to n worse fate, for
the friend ne sent me with challenge
informed me that his principal was
bent on killing me. and preferred to
die in u respectable fashion rather than
be stabbed in the back. had little
or no training as shot or fencer. 50
I threw dice to decide whether should
choose q had the right as the chal-
lenged party foils or pistols. The
dice said fOils, and foils 1t was.
knew the fellow could 40 with me
what he liked. and, as his second had
told me he would kill me, the prospect
was gloomy. Before Santiago there
had been no more chance Of my getting
killed than any one else. 1t was the
certainty in the present case didn't
like. Had not had soldlerly instincts
and a fair share Of pride l believe
would have left Paris by a midnight
train.
The night before the meeting was
asleep in bed. Suddenly awoke
There stood George Ringwalt. My first
impression was that I had been mis-
| taken in his death. Before I could
pass to a second impression he said to
me:
"Get up
did so and stood In my pajamas,
waiting the next move in this strange
In a corner. George took one, handed
me the other. then placed himself on
guard. passively did the same. After
a few passes he put back his left foot
and toyed with my foil. Then sud
denly he lunged. I saw, but did not
feel, his foil pass through my body.
While I was wondering. he said. "On
guardv' and made the same movement
second time. again running me
through the body.
''Try 1t YOURSELF" he said.
did as he suggested, making sew
eral trials, every one Of which failed,
not because of the defense, but because
Of my own clumsiness. But kept on
| until at last it seemed to me that 1t
was not George standing before me, but
! my enemy Of the morrow, and that my
life depended on my making the lunge
successfully. Concentrating all my
watchfulness. my activity, my strength,
threw it with one supreme effort, run
ming my foil clean through the body
before me and breaking my foil against
| the wall.
| That's the last Of consciousness for
me till l was aroused at 4 o'clock by
George Ringwalt come back to show
me how could win? The foils stood
In the corner. Neither was broken. l
must have dreamed. AS soon as | had
got into my clothes we went down
stairs, stepped into carriage and roll
ed away to the place of meeting. There
stood my adversary. with self salts
fec look on his face which seemed to
say, 81 shall kill you in few min
utes."
l remembered the lunge | had prac-
ticed in my dream. if it was a dream,
and felt that it was my ouly chance.
Almost as soon as we had crossed
weapons l put my left foot back and
toyed for few moments with my add
versary's blade, What there was In
my eye that disconnected him l don't
know. He must have seen something
there, for he showed Il momentary