St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-10-07
A Unique VindiCatiOn.
[Original.l

necessary to refrain from joining the
fighting corps and engaging in harm
less encounters. Indeed, there was
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
lug to defend a prisoner from a mob.
These shafts Of death, striking 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 weapons as to
distance all competitors save one. a
young Engishman 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 obiec-
ton to a friendly encounter. the vital
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
/ II lot 4 in Z Dro (
suspected by 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 he 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 II
anything happened to him 1t would
kill her.
Bancroft neither cared to give his
true reason for not fighting nor be-
lieved that it would be accepted II
would have been accepted and he
would have been respected for it II he
could have satisfied the students of
its truth. In no country in the world
are parents more beloved and respect
ed than in Germany. But to convince
couple of thousand of young mer
that he was not hiding behind his
mothers skirts was out of the ques
ton
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 and engaged
in sheep raising. Soon after this bis
mother died.
Several years passed. One day Ban
croft was treading his way on a patti
barely a foot wide around the side Of 6
precipice. While doing so he saw {
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
man in the line of tourists his ole
enemy at the university. He was alsC
recognized
"Wait there" said Horcut, pointins
to place where the path widened {
little Il pass inside" He spoke
with his old domineering Tone Ban
croft stepped to the spot indicated
saying as he did so:
Il pass inside"
you pass outside, l say" growleC
Horcut. remembering that Bancroft
was a coward.
Are you armedY" asked Bancroft
quietly.
NO"
Bancroft took a revolver from hi
hip and flung it over the precipice.
struck 500 feet below
"What do you propose" asked Hor
cut blanching.
ITO settle feud Of long standing
We are about the same build. Let on
of us throw the other over. If | an
victorious l will pass inside the res
Of your party"
Horcut stood aghast. MY God. man
that would be certain death for both o
us!
ut would prove US both brave men.
But
1--WE are keeping your friends wait
ing"
The friends were as terrified as tn
principals. ThS begged Horcut not t
accept such a fearful challenge.
/ "Do-do l understand faltered Hor
cut, that you will pass inside thos
behind me?'
THAT is my intention"
"And you will permit me to pass yo1
| On fhn OutSida in co fatv ~