Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-05-28
'AGood Buffer
p By c. 8. BURGESS
Copyright. 1910, by American Press
Association.

Ned Thornton of Chicago. One win
ter Ned and met In Berlin and went
together to a students ball. While
Ned was dancing with a very pretty
fraulein a young fellow who evidently
had a claim upon her came up to him
and said:
II VIII 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 i will let the sawdust out Of
you"
Later a dapper officer with a
wasp waist stepped up TO Ned and
handed him q card on which was en-
graved Lieutenant Ernst Won Batter
STEM"
Ned, understanding that the officer
addressed him as bearer of n 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 of
his arm he referred the lieutenant to
me, and / agreed to meet the gentle
man at a Gaze In the Inter den Linden
In half an hour.
"Ned." protested as soon as we
were alone, "you can't bluff one or
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
died a foil In your life. and at shoot
ing you couldn't bit ten story build
ing Mt ten PAGES. We don't dhel any
In America, and it's no disgrace TO flee
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 mcrning."
"Oh. there's some better way out OF
II than that. Do you know what Gen
eral Grant said when going to attack
his first enemy? He said that the 9th
er fellow was probably us much scared
as he was, and SO he went on. Well.
I've put at least the probability into
this young mans head thar I'm an eS-
pert. and II he doesn't believe me ne
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 conf
dent air I said rs little as possible.
for when q man Is playing desperate
game It's best TO let him do IL all him
self. The slightest interference with
Ned in this instance might cost him,
his life. When the lieutenant asked
what weapons my friend as the chal-
lenged party would choose ] simply
replied. "Fcils, of course" and as 10
other details I left them entirely 10
him. except that the affair should be
settled ut once. as my man had an Gu
cagement In Paris with pupil who
needed his services In an affair of the
same sort.
I fiattered myself that this was Keep
ing ND the Instructor in fencing" j.
fusion pretty well. II the principal on
the other side had been an officer In
the army the pretense couldn't be re-
lied on. for a soldier can't very Well
back out from sure death. But the
would be pigsticser was civilian
and that wasn't SO bad. The officer
didn't appear in the least frightened.
but he was not the man who would
have 10 meet fencing master.
IL was arranged. in order that Ned
should meet his engagement In Paris.
that we should be at rendezvous
where such affairs are settled at 8
O'Clock the same morning. l went
back and reported the outcome to Ned
"what are you going TO do:" asked.
You're certainly not going TO let this
fellow run a sword through your vi
tails"
-Oh, I'll keep up the bluff till the
last minute. aud II the thing goes
against me III find pretext to slide
out with honor"
At5;3D we took a carriage and drove
10 the rendezvous. had left the pro
curemcEt OF the weapons 10 the enemy.
saying that my principal could fence
a. well with a cutlass as foil and
would rely on them for weapons
When we got on the ground the pig
sficker was looking over n stock fof
fofls and testing them. evidently think
ing that II he was to meet a fencing
master who didn't care whether he
used a fol- OF a cutlass he mGss be
carefully armed II looked TO me that
toe bluT game was up and Ned would
have 60 wiggle out
Just before taking position Ned sent
me 20 the enemy 90 say that since he
didn't wish TO kiI bis antagonist he
would give him the choice between
losing an eve or having his nose cut