Year: 1866

ana III so happened tnat tney lOugnt OF


the very same causewsy, where, NOR,


than twenty years after, fought anothe


of those ferocious French officers t


which circumstance, indeed, it was ow


ing thatI came to hear Blucher's story


from his own lips, for he was generally


very reticent on the subject. The Coun


came from Badan with his seconds, hi


surgeon, and an old family servant
| The Frenchman brought his seconds


from Strasburg, which, being garrison


town, had always plenty of military OF


hand for such business.


They we're to fight barrier duel


which, when properly ranged, is about


the fairest way. First distance il


marked out OF from five to twenty-five


PAGES, according to the gravity of the


combat; then an additional ten or fif


teen PAGES on each side, and this addi


tional ground is called the barrier Al


the further extremity of these barriers


the combatants are posted, and when the


word is given they may advance upon


each other the whole length of the bar.


rier, il they please, before firing, or one


of them may fire at any stage of the


advance, the second step, if he likes AS


soon as one has fired, he stops, and the


other must stop, also, and fire at once.


As this was to be duel mort they


made the space between the barriers ff-


teen PAGES, to be reduced five at every


successive shot


The fatal word was given and the com


batants had advanced nearly to the limit
of the barriers, or within sixteen PAGES
of each other, when the Frenchman fired
and his fire was promptly returned, with.
out effect on either side. The failure
was owing not merely to the agitation
which often gets the better of even as
good shots as these two men were, but
also to some defect in the loading of the
pistols-if remember rightly the powder
was damp.


The error, whatever it was, having
been reetifed, and the distance between
the barriers reduced to ten PAGES, the
belligerents took their posts again As
before, they advanced nearly TO the ex-
treme limit of the barriers, and the
Frenchman fired first So true was his
aim at Blucher's head that the ball
grazed the Counts temple, cutting off
one of his side locks and nearly stunning
him with the concussion. Blucher stag
gered in his tracks, and his second, sup
posing him hit, scrambled up the bank
Of the causeway from the low ground
alongside, in which they had been wait
ing, and ran to catch him before he fell


When man is going to be hanged,
said DIR. johnson, "his faculties are ter
ribly concentrated. But this depends
on the man. Many persons are utterly
demoralized by the near approach of
death or danger Those who are natu.
rally cool, are cooler than ever in
crisis As Count Blucher turned to full
consciousness after the shock, he took in
Che whole situation at glance On his
left he saw his seconds running towards
him, straight in front, the eyes of his
antagonist peering forward through the
smoke to observe the effect of his shot
With his left hand the Count waved his
friends back, with his right he pulled
trigger and shot the Frenchman through
the heart. The officer fell prone on his
face and never spoke or stirred more.


Next moment, Blucher felt hand on
his shoulder 1t was the doctor Lets
run, Count; l know, by the way he fell
there's no use my going to him" And
run they did-just in time; for French
gendarmes had heard the first discharge
and were already a,feld. Under Louis
Napoleon, the local authorities geherally
take all pains that duel shall not be
interrupted Whether they were more
strict and pacific under Louis Philippe,
or whether they had some anticipation
that L. grdnde nation was coming off
second best this time (it makes a great
difference in such cases whose OK is
gored), they were certainly bearing down
on the Counts party, who escaped by
prompt run to their carriage, and sharp
drive of a quarter of mile.


Only that distance lay between the
scene Of action and Kehl bridge; once
half way across the bridge, they were
safe on German ground "The first man
we met after our sentry said Blucher,
was a beggar asking charity. l put my
hand into my pocket and gave him the
first piece of money could find, without
looking to see what it was. He never
did that before on since, said one of the
Il
relating the story.


For some reasons which | do not re-
collect, the seconds and doctor remained
1t Kehl, and Count Blucher started for
Baden in his post carriage There were
no railroads them, unattended save by
MS old servant His feelings were the
reverse of triumphant Even his graft
.ude to Providence for so narrow an es-
cape was alloyed BY the reflection that
ais life had been spared at the expense
1f fellow-being's To a man who has
never shot anything but hares and par
ridges, it is a very serious matter to
nave shot another man in cold blood. As
he carriage rolled on There were twen-
y-six miles of road before HIM, the
farther he went, the sadder he grew. The
Did servant on the rumble behind,
Watched him intently, but did not ven
ure TO say anything, aud thus they pro-
.eeded silently till the Count was sud
lenly struck by the sight of little
,hurch close to the road, probably RO- |
nan Catholic one, as it was open on a |
week day He stopped the postillion,
entered the church aud prayed. What |
he prayed, and how he felt his prayer to
De answered, may be left to the readers
Imagination; but he was greatly re-
ieved, and on coming out of the church,
le liz cigar Then the servant was
.lso lightened at heart, and exclaimed
xultingly, Now, | know that my mas
er is all right again


Blucher brought the news of his vic
ory to Baden himself The Frenchmen
rere so ashamed of their countryman
particularly since he had got the worst
f it), that no one said anything in his
avor, and the French minister at Carls-
uhe took the first opportunity of invi-
inr the Count 10 dinner. Indeed no