The labor argus. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1906-1915, 1908-07-02
The Irresistible Lunge.



fellows, and when the Spanish war
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. I 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 l was mustered out Of the serv-
| ice ! was offered a commission in the
| regular army. but I decided to study
| medicine. While taking finishing
| course in Paris l unintentionally won
| the regard Of girl who. unfortunately
for me. had lover already. Had
known of this mans existence l should
| have endeavored to keep the girl ut II
| distance. The first intimation l had
| OF him was at supper was enjoying
! with a number of my fellow students.
A man in passing behind me brushed
against me forcibly as to knock
me off my chair. Looking up at him, ]
I saw that his act was Intentional.
Quick as flash I sprang at him aud
d Knocked him down. Before he could
retaliate 1 was seized by my compan-
ions. and my antagonist, throwing a
card ut 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.
ored me.
| Well. I was obliged to fight him
/ that Is, saw no way of avoiding meet
ing him under the Paris code without
suDJectinS myself to worse fate, for
the friend he sent me with q challenge
informed me that his principal was
bent on killing me, and I preferred to
die In respectable fashion rather than
be stabbed in the back. l had little
or no training as q shot or fencer, so
l threw dice to decide whether should
choose Il had the right as the chal-
lenged 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
mad been no more chance of my getting
certainty in the present case I didn't
like. Had 1 not had soldierly instincts
and fair share Of pride 1 believe
would have left Paris by q midnight
train.
The night before the meeting I was
asleep in bed. Suddenly awoke
There stood George Ringwalt. My first
impression was that had been mis-
taken in his death. Before 1 could
pass to second impression he said to
me:
"Get upv
I did SO and stood in my pajamas,
waiting the next move in this strange
affair. A couple of foils were standing
in corner. George took one, handed
me the other, then placed himself on
guard. l passively did the same After
few passes he put back his left foot
and toyed with my foil. Then sud-
denly lie lunGed. I saw, but did not
feel, his foil pass through my body.
While l was wondering. he said, ION
guard"' and made the same movement
a second time again running me
through the body.
'"Try it yourself" he said.
l did as he suggested, making sew
eral trials, every one Of which failed,
not because Of the defense, but because
1
until at last it seemed to me that 1t
was not George standing before me, but
my enemy Of the morrow, and that nv
life depended on my making the luuce
successfully. Contentra ting all nv
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 I was aroused at O'Clock by
my second. Had l dreamed or had
George Ringwalt come back to show
me how l could win? The foils stood
In the corner. Neither was broken.
must have drea AS soon rs had
got into my clothes we went down.
stairs, stepped into carriage and roll
ell away to the place of meeting There
stood my adversary, with a self satfs-
ned look on his face which seemed to
say, Il shall kill you in a few min
uteS."
l remembered the lunge l had prac-
t1ced in my dream, if it was a dream
and felt that it was my only chance,
Almost as soon as we had crossed
weapons l put my left foot back and
toEed FOR few moments with nv ad-
Fersary's blade. What there was in
my eye that disconnected him don.t
In