foil by a semicircular stroke from below and sent it flying a dozen paces behind him. Then, without leaving his place-he could have killed Santelli had he so wished-he lowered his arm, and turning to his friends, said regretfully

"It is as I feared; these are conscripts."

Conscripts!" cried I, then throwing my coat, cap, and shirt on the ground, I added, "Another conscript, master civilian!"

As soon as he felt my stroke he saw that he had quite another arm to deal with. I made the same pass as Santelli with the difference that my adversary, while trying to send my weapon a dozen paces behind him, found it in the centre, clear through him, a couple of inches above the right breast. When he fell my foil remained in his body.

His friend drew it out, sucked the two wounds, and, helped by the other civilian, took him to the hospital.

My colleagues and I, to whom I recommended the strictest silence, returned to the barracks.

I own, to my shame, that I was rather proud of it all. Santelli and Versini, my pupils, countrymen, and friends, could not praise me enough.

Four days afterwards the Adjutant called all three of us and conducted us to the reporting room to the Colonel. I felt frightened, and my friends were

afraid for me. My fear and theirs increased when we entered the Prætorium and saw, contrary to custom, the General and a gentleman in plain clothes to whom all the officers showed great respect, and who, when he came forward, took our names, surnames, rank, birthplace, etc. When he heard that we were all Corsicans he turned to General Durieu, saying

"Corsicans! I am not surprised."

Then the General asked us in so many words"Which of you murdered a civilian ?"

The word murdered fell like a flash of lightning into the room, making much more commotion than the latter would have done amongst the officers, non-commissioned officers, and the corporals on duty belonging to the 60th line.

The spectators looked at us silently, stiff with horror. No one answered.

General Durieu, almost angry, called

"Griscelli!"

"Here, General," I replied.

66

Why did you not answer before?"

"Because I have not murdered anyone."

What, you have not murdered anyone? And how about the man whom you killed four days ago just outside the town?"

Up to that moment I had been frozen, but as soon as I knew what I was accused of doing I

raised my voice, and, looking steadily at the General, said

"Mortally wounded, yes, General; but not murdered!" And without waiting to be asked I related the affair from the time we entered the café to the end of the combat.

When I had finished the General turned to the gentleman in the white cravat and asked him if I had told the truth.

"Yes, General," replied the Public Prosecutor. The General, whom we had all thought very angry, approached me laughing and said

"That is right, my man. Here are twenty francs for you. You know how to make your regiment respected. The man whom you killed was a quarrelsome scoundrel, who, while he sponged on the 5th, killed five of the men belonging to that regiment. Colonel, put this young Corporal into a crack company."

Then a change took place which may easily be imagined. All the officers who had looked upon me as lost approached to congratulate me.

The Colonel asked me to go to his lodgings. When we got there he gave me a pair of epaulettes and twenty francs, counselled me, and particularly praised me for my discretion. "Any other man," said he,

"would have told the whole town."

с

Santelli and Versini, who, although fond of me, were jealous of me that day, are now: Santelli, chief of a squadron of gendarmery in Corsica, and Versini a Captain in the 20th Rifles of Vincennes ; and I, who was the hero of so many scenes, must languish in exile.

Some time after that our regiment went into garrison at Lyons, whither my reputation as a duellist had preceded me. But that which completed my fame as a fencer and a fighter, was a duel which my regiment had with the 30th (a duel between two corps) and which deserves being published.

One night, during the roll-call, the voltigeur Guis entered the barracks without his sword, and covered with blood. This man was the confidential servant of Monsieur Berthelin, the officer on duty.

After the roll-call, before reporting, the latter summoned his servant and made him tell what had happened. Guis said that while he was in a café (Simon) at the Croix-Rousse seven corporals of the 30th of the line had insulted, disarmed, and beaten him.

At this tale the Lieutenant, looking at me, told the company that it was a stain on the regiment, and particularly on the company of voltigeurs belonging to the first battalion, and that he would gladly exchange his gold epaulettes (for two days) for woollen ones that he might wipe out the stain with

blood. All the voltigeurs were gathered around the officer, and waiting for my answer.

"Lieutenant," said I, "you will keep your epaulettes. Guis will be revenged by to-morrow night. After that we shall see."

His eyes sparkled with joy. He took me by the hand, made me go out into the court-yard, gave me twenty francs, and assured me that he would see to everything.

"I give you carte blanche," said he. "Only revenge my voltigeurs !

The next day he came to me at the fencing-school, to tell me that Colonel Lamane counted on me.

"The Colonel ?" said I. "Who told him?" "I did, last night at his house. The whole regiment knows about it, and all the officers who were with me expect something from you as you are a corporal of voltigeurs."

In the evening, after soup, I took Versini, Casanova, Santelli, and Guis with me, and we went to the café where the latter had been beaten. We had hardly seated ourselves before the corporals of the 30th came in, and seizing the billiard cues, said—

"Oh! oh! they have come in numbers."

"What do you mean by numbers ?" asked a certain Jocquet; "they are only four. Well, four blows of my fist and I stretch them all four on the floor!"