LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 595, 16 May 1876, Page 3

LITERATURE.

HOW I FOUGHT MY FIRST DUEL. ' Louis, they want you to meet Klein tc morrow morning. Special. Can you manage ?' ' Of course I can ; I can't plead unhealed wouuds as an excuse.' I answered, with a grin. ' What is the time, and whereabouts ?' ' Five o'clock sharp, at the forest pool,'' was the reply; aud Fischer, laying his hand gently on my shoulder, looked me kindly and inquiringly in the face. ' Now, youngster,' he said gravely, ' it's a scandalous " Bestimmung " (this slang expression has no English equivalent, ' match' being the nearest approach to it. When a German student says he is ' bestimmt,' he means that a duel has been arranged between another person and himself, with or without his own consent or knowledge); and if you'd like to have another week or two of practice, I'll let you have it. Don't be afraid to accept my offer; I'll think none the worse of you, lad : for Klein is an ugly customer to deal with.' 1 Thanks, Fischer, you're a trump ; but I must accept. If the cartel-bearer had been any one else but cousin Fritz, I might have jumped at your offer, but now I cannot; Fritz would be ashamed of me; besides, I think I can make it pretty warm work for Klein.' • All right, youngster,' said Fischer, with a pleased smile. * Don't drink any more when you have finished that glass, but get off home as soon as your cousin leaves, and turn in at once. I'll call you in plenty of time, so don't be nervous about being late.' And with these words Fischer nodded pleasantly to me, and went back to cousin Fritz. '1 saw their two heads come close together ; then Fritz glanced quickly at me, gave an almost imperceptible nod of approbation, and jotted down somethiug in his note-book. As soon as the list—a pretty locg one—had been gone through, the two second officers closed and pocketed their books. I'liis done, Fritz chatted with those near him till he had finished his beer, and tueii the two officers rose, bowed to each other, and with another bow to those in his immediate neighbourhood my cousin left the ' Kneipe.' As soon as the door was closed Fischer pulled out his pocket-book, and rapping the table smartly with his glass, cried out. ' Silentium !' No need for that. Our corps, the Zythnsia, and Fritz's corps', the Yinumi.i, were at bitter enmity, and we all knew the cartellist would be a so-called ' murder list,' that is, one in which the challenging corps matches its best swordsmen against the worst of the challenged corps. And a murder list it wa3 with a vengeance. Three

of our fellows would be horribly wounded—ry a runaway knock at Deaths door, as me of them grimly remarked—three others would be severely cut up, two would perhaps manage to give as much as they got, while only one of us would thrash his man. ' And now, you fellows,' said Fischer, when he had finished reading the challenges, ' I've gut something else to tell you; so jiay attention. You all know that the Vinumer have got visitors. Well, these strangers want to see how we tight here in Volleulenheim, and we have been honoured by the request to jiroduce a worthy representative, but under most peculiar circumstances I must confess. The Vinumer think they can impress their visitors more by showing them how Volleulenheiraer ' foxes* can fight, and Mulheim came this evening expressly to arrange a meeting between his cousin Lewis and Klein. If Louis had objected or shown the slightest disinclination, I should at once have refused to allow the duel, and would have placed myself at their service to meet any one whom they chose to name; but Louis agrees to fight; and I want you now to drink a bumper to his success, and then we'l 1 give him the 'battle song' before he goes home.' The toast was drunk with an enthusiasm that gratified my pride intensely, and I was further honoured by their singing the ' battle song,' which is seldom done unless the impending duel be one of great interest. Although I had never yet been out, the reputation I had won in the fencing saloon was such that the Vinumer deemed me a worthy opponent for their crack • fox' swordsman, who had already fought dve duels, and nearly killed his man each time. Klein and I had been great chums at school, but he left for the University six months before me ; and as we had joined different corps it thus came to pass that two old friends would on the morrow engage in a perhaps fatal fight, simply because they were ordered to do so by the officers of their respective corps. While some of my corps' brothers were congratulating me on my chance of winning such honourable distinction, and others condoling with me on my being matched against so formidable an opponent, an enthusiastic cry of joyous welcome was uttered a-> Dornberg, the pride of the corps, sauntered jauntily into the room. A tall powerfully built young fellow, his countenance strikingly handsome aud intellectual, with laughing grey eyes that would sometimes light up fiercely in of great excitement, and a mouth so expressive that it was impossible not to feel attracted by the genial smile that often lurked upon it; short curly brown hair, massive forehead strongly marked by a long deep scar, clean shaven and rather pale face his was a head that deservedly won for him the name of ' handsome Dornberg. ' As a swordsman he was brilliant, daring, and effective; as a second, unequalled; as a student, intolerably lazy. After four years wasted at the university, his exasperated father recalled him home. A few years afterwards he managed, bysome means or another, to appease his irritated father, and returned to us to be welcomed as one welcomes a dearly loved friend. When the uproar created by his appearance had somewhat abated, Dornberg was told of my engagement for the next day; and, after commenting in rather severe terms upon the inequality of the match, offered to second me on my first appearance. 'ls he as good as Klein ?' he asked—' I mean in saloon fencing.' ' Much about the same,' answered Fischer; ' his high cuts are better; but then, you see, he has never been out, and is sure to be nervous at first, whereas Klein has got any amount of confidence now.' ' Well, I must do my best,' replied Dornberg. ' Can we save the * Abfuhr,' ( When a man receives a wound so dangerous that another blow would prove fatal, the surgeon stops the duel. This is an 'Abfuhr,' and the wounded man is said to be 'abgefuhrt,' i.e. led away), do you think ?' * You can.' 'Then that will do. Now, youngster, shake hands and be off to bed. We'll see you through all right to-morrow, so sleep easily on that score. Who's to call you ?' ' Fischer was kind enough to promise that,' I answered. •' Ah, then you may feel yourself flattered. The second officers don't usually oall the "foxes;" but I suppose it is to be something out of the common. Well, good night my lad, and sleep well; and above all don't get up before you're called.' So off I went in high spirits, flattered by the notice that was taken of me ; confident, now Dornberg was going to be my second, that I should escape very severe treatment at Klein's hands ; and fondly imagining that by some lucky chance or other I might on the morrow surpass myself, and do credit to the corps whose colours I wore, I threw myself on my bed, and soon afterwards fell fast asleep. I have often wondered since that I could sleep so easily when in such a novel and trying position ; for many a night had I laiu awake, restless and uneasy, wondering how I should comport myself when I should be obliged to .fight in earnest. Either I had gained confidence through the knowledge of Dornberg's arrival, or else things dreaded are less feared when present than when in prospect. At any rate, the fact is certain that I looked forward to my next morning's adventure with great composure and in tranquil confidence. Shortly after four o'clock I was suddenly roused from my sleep, and, starting up in bed, saw Fischer coolly filling his pockets with cigars he found loose on the table, while Dornberg was amusing himself by balancing a chair on his chin. 'Now then, youngster,' cried Fischer, when he saw I was awake, ' look alive, we've no time to lose; so while you're dressing I'll get breakfast ready, if you'll show me where the things are kept.' Giving him the desired information, I jumped out of bed and began to dress with all speed. '1 say, Louis,' said Dornberg, who by this time had tired of playing the acrobat, ' what cut do you find the greatest difficulty in parrying ?' _ , ' Horizontal tierce,' I answered; although such was not the case. ' Never mind that; Klein can't cut it with the sharp edge.' ' It's lucky for me that he can t. •Why?' ' Because if he could you wouldn't be able to stop it,' I retorted maliciously; for the most difficult task a second can have is to stop this cut unperceived. (To be continued.)