Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-12-11
A Unique VindiCatiOn.

IOriginal.J

sity of Heidelberg he promised his
mother that he would never fight a
duel. But Bancroft did not consider it
necessary to refrain from joining the
fighting corps and engaging in harm
less encounters. Indeed, there vas
plenty of fighting material in him in
herited from his progenitors, and this
was why his mother had exacted the
promise. Her father had been killed
in a duel, one of her brothers through
reckless exposure in the civil war.
while another had been shot attempt
ing to defend a prisoner from a mob
These shafts of death, stril 4 g so near
her. caused her to brood and induced a
fear that her only son should fall
through a similar cause.
Bancroft at Heidelberg proved so
handy with all sorts of as to
distance all competitors save one, a
young Englishman named Horcut.
The two held the record for being the
best swordsmen at the university. and
there was a desire among the students
that they should fight for the cham
pionship. Bancroft made no objee-
iACh " a ANAld SitVillCi, lAC Allui
parts of each disputant being covered
according to the corps rules. But in
truth he did not relish even a friendly
fight with the Englishman. who was
an avowed hater of Americans.
When the terms of the fight for the
championship came to be arranged
Horcut insisted on certain innovations
rendering the affair dangerous. 1t was
suspected by a few that he considered
Bancroft the better swordsman and,
judging him to be timid, wished to
force him to decline the combat. This
would give Horcut the championship
without fighting for it or risking to
lose it. He would then return to Eng
land to enjoy his honors.
Whether or no this was his object,
it was accomplished. Bancroft de-
clined to fight except under the rules
for friendly contests. Horcut accused
him Of cowardice, and there was now
nothing for him to do but challenge
the Britisher to an unprotected"
fight or be cut by the members Of his
corps. He declined to fight either for
the championship or to vindicate his
courage, but he wrote his mother the
facts and begged her to release him
She declined to do so. Besides, friends
at home assured him that she was in
a critical physical condition and if
anything happened to him it would
kill her.
Bancroft neither cared to give his
true reason for not fighting nor be-
lleved that it would be accepted. 1t
would have been accepted and he
would have been respected for it IL he
could have satisfied the students of
its truth. In no country in the world
are parents more beloved and respect
-ed-thaR In Germany. Bat to convince
a couple of thousand of young men
that he was not hiding behind his
mothers skirts was out of the ques-
lion.
So Bancroft finished his university
career a cut man, though he was burn
ing to meet his adversary. When he
went home to Virginia. finding that
the story had preceded him and pref
udiced some people against him. he
went to the farther west aud engaged
in sheep raising. Soon after this hiy
mother died.
Several years passed. One day Ban
croft was treading his way on a path
barely a foot wide around the side of a
precipice. While doing so he saw a
party of tourists coming. Persons
meeting on the path must pass care
fully, the one taking the outside, the
other the inside. Bancroft was ex-
pecting to take the outside when sud
denly he recognized in the LEADING
nan in the line of tourists his old
enemy at the university. He was also
recognized.
"Wait there" said Horcut, pointing
to a place where the path widened a
little. II pass inside" He spoke
with his old do%mineering tone. Ban
croft stepped to the spot indicated
saying as he did so:
81 pass inside"
you pass outside, l say" growled
Horcut, remembering that Bancroft
was a coward.
Are you armed?' asked Bancroft
quietly.
NO"
Bancroft took a revolver from his
hip and flung it over the precipice. 1t
struck 800 feet below.
"What do you %proposeY' asked Hor-
cut, blanching.
ITO settle a feud of long standing.
We are about the same build. Let one
of us throw the other over. If l am
victorious l will pass inside the rest
of your party"
Horcut stood aghast. my God, man.
that would be certain death for both Of
us!''
at would prove us both brave men,
But
"We are keeping your friends wait
ing"