Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-01-04
The Irresistible Lunge.


to enlist, neither of us being eighteen
years Of age. During the siege of
Santiago George was left wounded in
an exposed position. | went back and
carried him to a safer place. He set
great store by an act which | 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 | had done him.
When was mustered out of the Serv-
ice | was offered a commission in the
regular army, but l decided to study
medicine While taking Il finishing
course in Paris | unintentonally won
the regard of a girl who, unfortunately
for me- had n lover already, Had l
known of this mans existence | should
have endeavored to keep the girl at
distance The first intimation l had
of him was at a supper | was enjoying
with a number of my fellow students.
\ man In passing behind me brushed
against me so forcibly as to knock
me off my chair Looking up at him,
saw that his act was intentional.
Quick as flash | 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 of Antoine Dupuy, and
one of my party informed me that he
was the lover of the girl who had hon
orcd me.
Well, l was obliged to fight him
that is, | saw no way of avoiding meet
ing him under the Paris code without
Subjecting myself to a worse fate, for
the friend he sent me with challenge
informed me that his principal was
bent on killing me, and | preferred to
die in a respectable fashion rather than
be stabbed in the back. had little
or no training as Il shot or Il fencer, so
| threw dice to decide whether | should
choose q had the right as the chal-
lengcd parity foilS or pistols. The
dice said foils, and foils it was.
| knew the fellow could do 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 sOldicrly instincts
and fair share of pride | believe |
would have left Paris by n midnight
train.
The night before the meeting | was
asleep in bed. Suddenly | awoke.
There stood George RingWalt. My first
impression was that | had been mis-
taken in his death. Before | could
pass to a second impression he said to
me:
Get upr'
did so and stood in my pajamas,
waiting the next move in this strange
affair. \ couple of folS were standing
in 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. | saw, but did not
feel, his foil pass through my body.
While | was wondering he said, ION
guard" and made the same movement
Il second time, again running me
through the body.
Try it 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 clumsincss. But kept on
until at last it seemed to me that it
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 ut / o'clock by
my second Had | dreamed or. had
George Ringwalt come back to show
me how | could win? The foils stood
III tllc COlucl. ANcllllcl WIS DIOhcL.
must have dreamed. AS soon as | had
got into my clothes we went down
stairs, stepped into il carriage and roll
ed away to the place of meeting There
stood my adversary. with Il self salts
fled look on his face which seemed to
say, Il shall kill you in Il few min
utes."
mil Oh fl., I had 10
ticed in my dream, if it was Il dream,
and felt that it was my only chance.
Almost as soon us we had crossed
weapons l put my left foot back and
tOyed for a few moments with my ad
verSary's blade. What there was In
my eye that disconnected him | don't
know. He must have seen something
there, for he showed momentary
fright Selling my opportunity, feel
ing a confidence | could not account
for, lunged My foil passed through
my enemy's body and protruded eight
zen inches from his back.
| was hurried away to a train for
Havre, where | sailed for home.
have never been able to make up my
mind whether George Ringwalt return
ed from the dead to save my life,
whether he effected the purpose through
dream or whether the dream, If such
it was, was but natural. Natural or
supernatural, the visitation gave me
the victory. What adds to the compli-
cation is that | have since been told
that what | learned of workmanship
Is we'll Known to certain experts and
is called the irresistible luIge