The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-05-04
.ACood Buffer
By c. B, BURGESS
copyright 1910 BY american Press
Association


NED was dancing with very pretty
frauletn . young fellow who evidently
had q claim upon her came up to him
and said
7 WIFI nigstick you.n
That's the way they have over there
q telling q man that he's got 10 night
Ned turned upon him with wei IA.
stunned fury and replied:
yeu"
Later dapper officer with
wasp waist stepped up 10 Ned ana
handed bin q card on which was en-
Eraved Lieutenant Ernst Won Batter
steln.e
Ned, understanding that the officer
addressed him ais bearer OF chal-
lenge, whipped out his own card. Oh
which be had scrawled. Instructor Of
Fencing, No. Dearborn Street. Chi
rago, Z. s. A.
lou see. Ned had known very we'll
what WAS coming and with his usuaI
quick foresight bad prepared bis Hrst
move. With a magnificent sweep OF
bis arm be referred the lieutenant 10
me, and agreed 70 meet The gentle
man at cafe in the Inter den Linden
IN half an hour
Ned" ! protested as soon as we
were alone. you can't blur one u
these young Germans with s. palpable
device as that Ny opinion Is that
we'd better jump the town. You
know well enough you've never han.
died a foil ia your life, and at shoot
ing you couldn't hit ten story build
ing at ten PAGES. we don't duel any
IN America, and it's no disgrace to fee
from these fellows who do All we
have to do is to lose ourselves for the
rest Of the night aud take an early
train Ia the mcrhing.n
"0h, there's some better way out Of
II than that De you know what Gen
eral Grant said when going to attack
his FIRST enemy ne said that the 9th I
er fellow was probably as much scared
as he was and Sc be went on. WE'LL I
I've put at least the probability into
this yOuHg 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 90
and talk With bis second and hear
what be has to say
met Won Batterstein and to help /
Ned on il his game assumed a conf.
dent air said as little as possible.
for when man is playing desperate
game it's best 70 let him DO Il all him
self. The slightest interference With
Ned In this instance might cost him
hts life. When the lieutenant asked
what weapons my friend az the chai
lengea purity would choose simply
replied "Fois, Of coursem and as to
other details | left them entirely to
him. except that tie affair should be
settled at once. as my man had an en-
gagement III Parts with pupil who
needed bis services il an affair q the
same sort.
/ fattered myself that this WIS keep
ing up the Instructor ID fencing Il
fusion pretty wen. II the principal On
the other side bad been an officer u
the army the pretense couldn't be re
lied on. for soldier can't very we'll
back out from sure death But The
wouid be pigsticker was civilian
and that wasn't 30 bad The officer
didn't appear Ia the least frightened
bur he was not the man WHO would
have to meet a fencing master.
1t was arranged, 10 order that Ned
should meet bis engagement in Paris
that We should be at rendezvous
where such affairs are settled at
o'clock the same morning went
back and reported the outcome t. Ned
AWhat are sou going To do9" I.asked
sYou're certainly not going % let this
fellow run j sword through your "
tails
aOh. mi keep up the bluff TIL the
last minute and IL the thing goes
Against me In lind d pretext TO slide
out with honor
At $50 we took carriage and drove
Id the rendezvous. i lad left the pro
curement OF the weapons Il the enemy
saying thar ms principal could fence
as we'll with 4 eutlass as 3 foil and !
would rely Oh them for weapons
when We got on the ground the pig
stieker was leokine over q stock q
foiis and testing them evidently think.
inr that II he was to meet q fencing
muster who didn't care whether ne
used foil or eutlass Ire must be
carefully armed II looked % me that /
tile hiua game was up and Ned would H
have to wiggle out
Just before taking position Ned sent
me to the enemy 10 say that since he
didn't wish to KIN bis antagonist he
would give him the choice between
losing ali ere 81 having his nose cut
OF. was to bring back word which /
IT these the pigstieker preferred e
lose
saw BY the appearance Of the pFin-
cipal on the other side when this cool
PROPOSITION was announced to him that II
we Ind made i break Won Battefstein Il
took 1t to him. aud they stood apart
talking earnestly. | was II suspense
AZ 70 the Issue. Presently the lisuten
ant came to me and said that his prin-
eipal had decided that the contest was
too unequal to ba undertaken and thal
since his enemy was about to leave
for paris the cause Of the dissension / ,
would be removed
we'll. there was more palayer, but
that was the end Of It The principals
shook hands and Ned invited the pig
sticker IL he ever came 70 Chicago to /