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Show X lmnoui Duel. To p.lt c an Idei of w hat n brne mm ctn do if lie knous fencing thoroughly and but keens cool and collected in danger it c will rcl.itenhl5torlc.il duel So extraordinary Is this combat tint it would he hel I n romincc hid it not been w itnesscd by a t hole army. The Iicto U Jcin 1-otiis, of uhom uu hue nlrcidy spoken ns one of tho e,reat mnslcrs at tho bcglnnlnK of this century, anil tho duel happened In Madild in l3l J liu was llio mister at arms of tho thill) second regiment of I rench lnf-tnlr), the first regiment compoieil entirely of Itihans, formed pail of thu same brikidc. Itet.imentil esprit tic corps and thai-rlcs thai-rlcs ol nitlomhlj caused constint quirrcls, when swords were often whipped whip-ped out or bullets cxclitni,cd After t snnll bitllo had occurcd In tho streets of Midrid, In which uver aoorrencli and ltillan soldiers hid liken P'irt, the olhccrsof the two leglmi nts, in n council coun-cil of uir assembled decided to e,Uc such breichcs of order n greit bluw, nnd to re cmblMi ilisciplmo they tie creed that the misters it arms of tho two rcLiinents should take up tho quarrel quar-rel ind fii,htitout Imatim n whole army In battle arra, on one ut the larj.0 plains tint surround Midrid III the center a !ire,e rlnp; is left open for the contestants 1 lilt spot Is riised above the plain so tint nono of lite spectitors of this tragic scene ealy dressed oflicers, soleileni In line, Sniuhrils, excited men will miss ono phase of tho contest It It before lo oxi men that the honor of an army is nbout tu bonteuged in llio blood of thirteen bravo men Tho drum Is heird Two men nil ed to the u list, alep in the rln,; lhe fir't till nnd strong, his black ecs roll disdainfully dis-dainfully upon the gaping crowd lie is (iiicomo I erriri the celebrated Itilnn The second, tall, also Inudsome, nnd wilh muscles like steel stands mo lestly nwiltlng the wordlof coinnnnd, Ins nime Is Jean I ouls. 1 lie seconds tiko the places on cither side of their principals princi-pals A death like silence ciisucj OnginrdP Tl c two masters cross swords. Gla-coniorcrnrl Gla-coniorcrnrl lunges rcpeitcdly nt Jem I ouls, hut In an his every thrust is met by n pitrj I lo mat es up his mind to bide nil chance, mid caresses nnd teases his opponent tiiaue jcin Louis, elm nnd watchful, lends himself In the phy, when, quicker thin lightning the Italian lumps nslde with n loud jell and mikes i terrll lu lunge nt Jcin l.ouls a 1 lorenllne trick, olten successful Hut, with extraordinary rapidity, Join Lotus has pirricd, and rispols quickly in the shoulder. ' It Is nothing," cries Glieomo "i mere scrilch,' nnd ihcy ngmi fall on Liiard Almost directly he is hit In the breast This timo thu sword of Jem I ouls, who Is now attacking, penetrates deeply. Ohcomo's laco becomes livid, his sword drops from Ids hi id, nn 1 hu falls lteiilv on the turf I lo is dead Jean 1 (nils li already In position Hu wipes his recking blade, then with the point of his saoril In the ground, he calmly nwalls tho next man Tho best fencer of the I irst regiment lias jubt been curled away a corpc, hut the diy Is not jet over. 1 nurteen nil msitlcsnre there. Impatient to nicasuro swords with the con uerer, burning tu nveiisiethe master they had deemed Invincible Jsin Lotila has hatdl) Ind two minutes' min-utes' ret He is ready A new ndver sary stands before him A sinister click of swords Is heard, n lunge, a pirrv n rlspol, and then i ct, n sigh, and all is , over A second body Is befolo jean I I -ouls A third nthertary advances. They I want Jcin 1-ouls to rest "I am not tiled," he answered with a smile The signal Is given The Ita ian is as till is tlio one who lies there a coipse covered by a military cloak Me has i closely watched Jean Louis' plav and thinks he has guessed the secret of Ills victories lie multiplies lib feints and tricks, then, all at once, I oun ling like n tiger on his pre), he gives his opponent a terrible thrust In the lower line Hut Jean I ouls' sword has parried and is now deep within Ids oponent a breast What need to relate nny inorcf Ten new adversaries foil iw id him and the ten fell before Jem Louis nnn 1 iho excited ex-cited veils and roars ol an arm). At thu request of the TI Irly second regiment a colonel, who thought tho lesson nulhclcnt, Jean I ouls, a lermtich pressing, consenlud to stop the conibnl, and lmshuok hinds with the two survivors, survi-vors, npplitidtdby loooomen 1 loni tint day hghls ceased between Trench and Italian soldiers This wonderful nnd gigantic combat might be held n fible were not all the above stateil still found In II c archives of Die minWtrv of war. ngtne Van !ch nci In I tfflitcolt t |
