The Cairo bulletin., 1910-12-12
SAVED 81 4 THICK

| YVES thu only American Of my time
Mt the University of Bonn who ieined
The dueling corps In the corps wax
young Baron Steiger, who WAS conSd-
cred the best swordsmnn az the uni.
l yersity
Toward the end Of the term | had
| the good luck to be pitled against
Baron Steiger when he had been drink
ing and got the better of him This
gave me some renown and made Stei-
ger my bitter enemy,
! did not touch IA sword again during
NY stay III the university, ana after
taking my degree | went to Vienna to
see Il little OF life at that capital
had letters to some of the best people
there. and my associates were almost
exclusively Austrian or German One
i evening after attending the opera with
a party of ladies and gentlemen In
sited them to stop with me at cafe
| While we were there who should come
In but Baron Steiger. He passed close
TO me, not speaking to me, but giaring
| at me, and as he walked behind my
chair lie purposely ran against 1t. !
4 was at the moment raising glass OF
wine to my lips, and part of the wine
was spilled on my shirt front. was
angry and, acting on foolish but nat
ural impulse. threw what remained In
the glass in his face.
The moment ] had done so realized
that had likely signed my own death
warrant. Steiger would undoubtedly
challenge me- and as had not touched
a sword In two years and he had be-
come famous in Its use as well as a
merciless opponent must either show
the white feather and be disgraced
among my Vienna friends or-die.
Steiger apologized for touching my
chair, declaring that 1t was uninten-
donal, and, raising his hat politely,
passed on. Not one of my friends but
understood what would follow, and the
party broke up Immediately. l went
to my apartments with young DIR.
I, Koch. with whom was very intimate.
The challenge came before we sepa-
rated, and confess was thrown into
a serious mental condition. Since leav-
ing the university Steiger had fought
dozen or more duels and had never
spared his man. DR.. Koch told me to
think no more about the matter or |
would unfit myself to take advantage
OF what slight chance there was for
me; that he had saved friend OF his
once under similar circumstances ana
he would try his plan with me. /
placed my case In his hands, turned In
and after an hour or so fell asleep.
The next evening after dark DR..
Koch came to me and told me that he
had arranged everything and IL would
I keep my head all would go well with
me. as the challenged party had the
right to choose the weapons and the
time and place Of the meeting. Acting
for me- DR.. Koch had chosen swords
In a dark room. The duel was to take
place Immediately In room Of third
party. Without giving me time to
dwell on these horrible conditions DR..
I Koch hurried me TO the meeting place,
but before entering the rooms In ques.
ton he took me to another where q
gentleman was waiting. to whom wnr
introduced-"Dr. Seiferth, the most
noted oeulist in Europe" The two
doctors at once began TO paint my eyes
with a camel's hair brush that had
been dipped in some liquid. Az sool
as they had finished a baudage wat
clapped over my eyes and kept there
for some twenty minutes. when It WA
taken off. and we went immediately I
rooms In the same building Whore &
meeting was to take place a feT IN.
ments later Steiger and ! were thru
into the dark room, mud the door ~
closed and locked
Now. 1t Is Impossible tpes lidr p'
fectly either light or hrat irop "a
apartment One might us W"tl atu'h
to form perfect yactuul ScnPr
cally speaking. there IS $50 such taiua5
perfect abSeDcc Of everything trut
any given space The trcat,aent Of IT,
physicians had enahEfd me to take nd
vantage of what light there was in TN
room. nearly all OF which came through
an imperfectly fitted door, under whltt
there was a strip unprotected Be this
as 1t may, | could distinguish the prin.
cipal objects In the room, including my
enemy. l could not make out his ez
preston, but his figure was quite per
ceptible, especially his face aud hands
which were lighter than the rest. lie
remained perfectly quiet for awhile
{ when moved, and. bearing the creak-
ing Of my boots, he came toward me
glided away. this time without max
, ing any sound, and In another moment
gave him a cut on the hand which
forced him to drop his sword Before
he could recover 1t pricked him from
the other side. which drew him from
whore the sword had fallen, and the:
: took It up myself
Baron" ] said. "yon are at my mer
cy. have your sword"
"Finish the murder. That's what |