The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-01-02
A Singular Duel.
lOriginal.1


Some wears ago when | was In New
Orleans in order to kill time dropped
into fencing academy opposite the
hotel where l stopped. al fond OF
all the arts of self defense and would
sit by the hour during the afternoon
and evening atching the fencing mas
fer give instruction. At the end OF
each lesson he would send This pupils
foil spinning high in the air, thus IN
timating that the lesson was finished :
One evening, while in his academy,
as was about leaving he asked me
II / would like to see Il spirited con-
test with the foilS between two ex-
perts. When l said would he told
me to be OH hand at in the morning,
giving as a reason for the early hour
that the contestants did not care to
fence before a crowd. When en-
tered the Mail little before the hour
appointed saw the principals emerge
from dressing room attired in fenc-
ing costume and each wearing wire
mask. The fencing master turned to
me and said
''In contests between strong men
sometimes the button will be broken
off one Of the foils. l wish you to look
at these weapons that you may be a
witness that they are in good condi-
ton at the start
examined the foils and found them
perfect. He handed them to the prin-
cipals, and the contest began, confess
[ was disappointed. Neither seemed to
take much interest in the struggle, and
it was an Indifferent performance. I
wondered why l. had been invited to
witness it. Meanwhile the fencing
master went to another part OF the
room, where suddenly he dropped
something which made clatter, and /
turned my eyes in his direction. When
I turned them back to the fencers l
saw that they had suspended the con-
test. One Of them was standing in
position; the other was just stepping
into position Somehow l got the idea
that they had both stepped away from
their places.
When the fencing recommended each
dan threw himself into his work as it
his life depended upon his efforts. Each
was Supremacy careful of his guard
and each watchful for some opening
through which he might pierce his ad-
versary 1t was not long before l saw
blood oozing from the sword arm Of
one of the fencers. l looked at the
fencing MASTER supposing he would
call a halt Certainly, as he had fear
ed, button had been broken off a foil.
He could not but see the blood, but he
paid no attention to it. Presently more
blood spurted, this time from the sh0ul-
der of the other fencer, and the two
were bleeding profusely.
Whatever had been the intent at the
beginning, | was sure that now the
men were fighting for their lives. They
were both skilled with the foil, and the
exhibition, as promised, had become
one of great brilliancy. Presently he
who was wounded in the shoulder re-
ceived another wound in the side. This
time the fencing master started to in
terfere, but the wounded man waved
him away, and the fighting went on.
l concentrated my vision to discover
the condition Of the foils. Had both
buttons been broken? Impossible!
There was some trickery, some method
of making the weapons effective. Then
remembered the noise made by the
fencing master just before the change
had come in the character of the con-
test, and it suddenly dawned upon me
that that movement was a device to
draw my attention while the fOils were
changed. While they were crossed and
for moment at rest could see that
there was no button on either, but q
sharp point. 1t looked as If the affair
were a veritable duel.
now began to notice the personnel
of the contestants. They both appear
ed to be gentlemen. One was tall and
slender, with fair hair and eyes; the
other short and thick and very dark,
the latter evidently ten years older