The Adair County news., 1914-11-11
A Preliminary Test
of Skill
By MARK HAMMERTON

The words were addressed to me by
4 lieutenant in the German army. He
was very young, his beard Just sprout-
Ing, and since there had been no waT
between Germany and any other pow
er since long before he was born hes
had had no way of letting off his SUE
plus vim. We were IN a beer garden
and he had been sitting at table near
one at which / sat with a party Of
American friends.
Getting up from his table. he wakes
past US. and, my foot being in his way.
be took pains to stumble against e.
Then, glaring down at me, he said IL
English:
II will pig stick your
What does the fellow mean?'
you've been challenged to fight IS
DUEL said Washburn. an attache as
the American legation. He had Hveo
In Berlin a number Of years and knew
the ways of the inhabitants.
"He can send all the challenges he
pleases." said III pay no attentiori
to them
'In that case" Washburn replied
you must give up the social stand you
have prepared to take in Berlin.
shouldn't like to put you forward as
have promised unless you either fgh@
young DonhOff. 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 ifi
thereY
'I'll think it over. I've helped SOY
eral Americans out OF such scTapes-
By the bye, | think I'll try the plan By
which saved Albertson from getting
a sword thrust between his ribs"
"What plan?"
81 didn't explain it till the affair wae
settled, nor viii l tell you. Put your
self in my hands. ask no questions, and
think can bring you out Of this with
honor, probably with eclat."
assented. and he took a message
from me to Donhoff / was an Amer
scan. and Americans did not fight
duels. However, I was willing TO 6ghs
under certain conditions. or, rather.
would prove myself more skillful thar
he. We would fire at a hens egg al
twenty PAGES. If he hit the egg ofteneT
than I, would stand up and permit
him to GhOot at me as long as be liked
II hit the egg more times than he. be-
was to submit himself as q target for
me.
The hot headed youngster accepted
the conditions Indeed. he was rather
pleased at the novelty Of the plan
Washburn arranged for a test OF siii1
In a fencing academy and brought e.
basket Of eggs to the place. which were
to serve as targets. The affair bein'-
an unusual one. none of the safeGuar'
common in duel preliminarieS We
taken. WaShburn fixed the target. ~ --
pending the egg by a thread. Colho'E
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 I eoul6
scarcely hit a barn door. but l prac-
dced sufficiently to hit an egg at least
once in five shots On the trial spat-
tered the contents twice. DonhoH. who
ike all German army officers was g
good marksman. looked upon my work
with evident contempt. l missed the
first and second shots. and as soon as
had done so he seemed to lose al in
terest in the contest He had doubtless
made a previous trial and discovered
"a pOuId nit tho sOSr oVnT-v time
l had been instructed by WashburT1
that when beat DOnhoff-and Wash
burn assured me that If bis plan
worked 7 would was Immediately to-
renounce my right to make a target
OF him WaShburn hung an egg for
aim. He fred somewhat carelessly anCi
missed He was surprised especially at
seeing the egg vibrating from the Wins
Of the ball He fred n second shot. this
time aiming carefully. Again he miss
ed. and again the egg danced. If now
de hit tho egg at every remaining she's
he could still beat me. Though be tools
a long time to aim before the thirft
shot, he missed IT,
w uCn re tOuhu ne COulu NOT StptT
SneeZine be drove TO Il train and camss
to this city to consult physician. Or
his journey he just escaped being QuT
off the train for causing disturbance,
On his arrival here he gave one final
sneeZe and broke blood vessel. which
caused his nose to bleed. This stOppeG'
the sneezing, and he was all right
He estimated that he SDPezed abOue
1000 times. or on an average fftesEa
sneezeS a minute for more than i've
hours. He bit his tongue several times