THE QUEEN'S MESSENGER AND AUSTRIAN FIRE-EATER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 623, 29 November 1913, Page 2

THE QUEEN'S MESSENGER AND AUSTRIAN FIRE-EATER.

HOW A DC EL WAS AV E KTED. Ail anonymous writer in " Bhickwood" describes bow tic made the nc'irnint;uhv .if a <i<■ ro 1 i<• t Englishn:an living at Belgrade, who told, him of iiis experiences connected with the forwarding of despatches from England to Constantinople during the Crimean War. One of these .-stories is recorded for us. It tells how, on a certain occasion. a handsome young Irishman irime to Belgrade as a Queen's Messenger. He dined with ths Englishman at a cafe, and during the meal let an Austrian banknote fall on the ground, placing his foot upon it to prevent it being blo.vn away A party of Austrian officers were dining at an adjoining table, and one of these, delighted to pick a quarrel, came across and poured forth torrents of abuse, saying his Emperor, whose portrait on the banknote had been trodden underfoot, was insulted. The inevitable scene followed, ending with a chal lenge. The Irishman told his friend that he could use neither sword nor pistol, and had not the least intention of fighting. However, the officers insisted on a combat and seconds were appointed. The next morning the Austrian second and the Englishman called at the Irishman's hotel and found him asleep. When he was awakened and told that the duel must take place he merely handed to his friend a rarer, telling him to read it and show it to the Austrian. Never had challenge a more absurd ending. The document in question was a copy of one which had keen sent the night before by ths Queen's Messenger to Vienna. It was addressed to the Archduke and the Colonel of the regiment whose officers had begun the trouble. Ths writer stated that, as a Messenger in her Britannic Majesty's service, it would be beneath his dignity to ta' e notice of the wanton insult offered to him, but he requested the Archduke to convey his challenge to the whole regiment, beginning with the Colonel ; the Archduke was, of course, excepted on account of his exalted rank. The best of ths joke was that the Arc'adul.e was well known as an opponent of duelling, and the Colonel was nearly ninety. Instead of the officers wanting to light, they came as a daputation to ! now if it were possible to withdraw th"s strange challenge. But it had already started for Vienna, and no one knew which the officers 'oared more, the wrath of the Archduke or the laughter of the Viennese cafes.-—'Spectator."