Bisbee daily review., 1910-08-23
ACood Blufer By C. B. BURGESS Copyright. Isl0. by American Press
 Association.
By C B. BURGESS

The best buffer l ever knew was Ned Thornton of Chicago. One win ter Ned and l met in Berlin and went together Co a students ball. While Ned was dancing with a very pretty fraulein young fellow who evidently had a claim upon her came up 10 him and said:
 ''I will pigstick you"
 That's the way they have over there of telling a man that he's got to fight
 Ned turned upon him with well as- sumed fury and replied
 And will let the sawdust out of you"
 Later a dapper officer with wasp waist stepped up to Ned and handed him a card on which was en- grayed Lieutenant Ernst yon Batter stein.''
 Ned, understanding that the officer addressed him as bearer of a chal- lenge. whipped out his own card, on which he had scrawled, Instructor of Fencing, No. Dearborn Street. Chi cago, U. S. A"
 You see. Ned had known very well what was coming and with his usual quick foresight had prepared his first move. With a magnificent sweep or his arm he referred the lieutenant to me, and agreed to meet the gentle man st a cafe in the Unter den Linden in half an hour.
 Ned" I protested as soon as we were alone. you can't blur one Of these young Germans with so palpable a device as that. My opinion is that we'd better jump the town. You know well enough you've never han dled a foil in your life, and at shoot ing you couldn't hit ten story build ing at ten paces. We don't duel any in America, and it's DO disgrace to fee from these fellows who do. All we have to do is to lose ourselves for the rest of the night and take an early train in the morning"
 "Oh. there's some better way out of 1t than that. Do you know what Gen eral Grant said when going to attack his first enemy? He said that the oth- CT fellow was probably as much scared as he was, and so he went on- Well. I've put at least the probability into this young mans head that I'm an ex' pert. and if he doesn't believe me he won't be sure that I'm not. You go and talk with his second and hear what he has to say.'
 I met Won Batterstein and to help Ned on in his game assumed a conf dent air. l said as little as possible for when a man is playing a desperate game it's best to let him do it all hin self. The slightest interference with Ned in this instance might cost hin his life. When the lieutenant asked what weapons my friend as the chal Ienged party would choose I simply replied. Polls, of courser' and as tC other details I left them entirely tC him. except that the affair should b' settled at once. as my man had an en gagement in Paris with a pupil whS needed his services in an affair of thG same sort.
 l fiattered myself that this was keep ing up the instructor in fencing il fusion pretty well. If the principal or the other side had been an officer fl the army the pretense couldn't be re lied on. for a soldier can't very wei back out from sure death. But th, would be pigsticker was a civilian and that wasn't so bnd. The of1cei didn't appear in the least frightened but he was not the man who woulC have to meet a fencing master.
 It was arranged. in order that Net should meet his engagement in Paris that We should be at a rendezvous where such affairs are settled at , o'clock the same morning. l wen back and reported the outcome to Ned
 What are you going to doT' asked You're certainly not going to let thi;
 fellow run a sword through your vi ] tals."
 "Oh. I'll keep up the bluff till tho last minute. and if the thing goes against me I'll find a pretext to slide ] out with honor"
 At 5:3O we took a carriage and drove | to the rendezvous. l had left the pro 1 curement of the weapons to the enemy ! saying that my principal could fence
 as well with a cutlass as a foil and