The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1914-02-04
A Preliminary Test
of Skill
By MARK HAMMERTON
Il will pig stick you,


The words were addressed to me by
lieutenant in the German army. He
was very young, his beard just sprOut-
ing. and since there had been no war
between Germany and any other pow
er since long before he was born he
had had no way of letting off his sur
plus vim. We were in a beer garden,
and he had been sitting ut table near
one at which I sat with party OF
American friends.
Getting up from his table, he walked
past US. and. my foot being in his way,
be took pains to stumble against It
Then. glaring down at me. he said in
English:
Il viii pig stick your
What does the fellow mean?"
You've been challenged to fight a
duel" said Washburn. an attache at
the American legation. He had lived
in Berlin 4 number of years and knew
the ways of the inhabitants.
HE can send all the challenges he
pleases," ! said. III pay no attention
to them"
In that case" Washburn replied,
you must give up the social stand you
have prepared to take in Berlin. 1
shouldn't like to put you forward as I
have promised unless you either fight
young DOnhOf. whom everybody
knows and who is on intimate terms
with the imperial family. or find some
way out Of the matter"
What way out of the matter is
rhere?"
III think it over. I've helped sew
eral Americans out OF such scrapes-
By the bye. think I'll try the plan by
I. which l saved AlbertSOn from getting
a sword thrust between his ribs"
what plan?"
II didn't explain it till the affair was
settled. nor will l tell you. Put your
self in my hands, ask no questions, and
I think I can bring you out of this with
honor. probably with eclat."
l assented, and he took a message
from me to DonhOff. I was an Amer
can, and Americans did not fight
duels However. was willing to fight
under certain conditions, or. rather. l
would prove myself more skillful than
he. We would fire at a hens egg at
twenty PAGES If be hit the egg oftener
than l. would stand up and permit
him to shoot at me as long as be liked
II hit the egg more times than he, be
was to submit himself as a target for
ne r- \
The hot headed youngSter accepted
the conditions. indeed, he was rather
pleased at the novelty of the plan.
Washburn arranged for test Of skill
In a fencing academy and brought a
basket Of eggs to the place. which were
70 serve as targets. The affair being
an unusual one. none of the safeguards
common in duel preliminaries were
taken Washburn fixed the target. sus-
pending the egg by i thread DOnhoff
and ] tossed for order Of trial. and
won. Each principal was to deliver
Ave shots, and the one who shattered
more eggs than the other Won
The day before the test l could
scarcely hit a barn door. but 1 prac-
q
once in FIVE shots On the trial l spat-
tered the contents twice. DOnhoff. who
Ike all German army officers was a
good marksman. looked upon my work
with evident contempt | missed the
first and second shots. and as soon as
had done so he seemed TO lose all in
terest in the contest He had doubtless
made Il previous trial and discovered
be could hit the egg every time.
had been instructed by Washburn
that when | beat DOnhOf-and Wash
burn assured me that if his plan
worked | would was Immediately to
renounce my right to make a target
OF him Washburn hung an egg for
hin. He fred somewhat carelessly and
missed. He was surprised especially at
seeing the egg vibrating from the wind
Of the ball. He fred second shot, this
time aiming carefully. Again he miss
ed and again the eg= danced. If now
he hit the eS- at every remaining shot
he could still beat me. Though he took
a long time to aim before the third
shot, he missed il
He could now only tie me But he
had become SD irritated with himself
that he was not capable of doing as
good work as before He missed the
fourth and fifth shots. the egg mt each
successive shot vibrating less. indicat-
ing that his aim had grown less accu-
rate On missing the fifth shot he
threw his pistol down with an oath
WaShburn shot me glance. and
cried. II renOunce the right I have
won" and. Fastening to Donhof. put
out my hand. He took it, muttering
lmprecatiOnS on himself for having
been SO clumsy Then he and his party
thanked me for my magnauimity and
eft the academy
by Jover' exclaimed Washburn.
sinking into chair IF those fellows
mad exercised One-tenth the care they
would have taken in an ordinary duel
would have had to Ieave Berlin
what do you mean?" asked
You fired at solid egg. DonhOff ar