At these words the uproar began. Tables, stools, and billiard cues flew around. At each blow of his stool Casanova knocked one down. We were left masters of the café. Our adversaries made off without their swords. We took them and spoilt the sheaths. Meanwhile the guard arrived with policemen. The mistress of the establishment, who was an intimate friend of Guis', took our part, saying that we had been attacked, and that they had run away to avoid paying her. The guard contented themselves with taking the swords of the 30th, and we were sent back to the barracks, where each soldier already had his own version of the battle. They said that some had been killed, some wounded,

etc.

The officer appeared at roll-call, and when we announced the victory to him his joy knew no bounds. Without even asking for the details he hastened to the Colonel, to tell him that the 60th had been nobly revenged.

There was a great commotion the next day at the Colonel's reporting-room, whither I was summoned with the officer in charge of the fencing-school.

As soon as the officers and non-commissioned officers on duty were at their post, seeing me talking to the Adjutant, the Colonel called me by name, and pretending to be very angry, addressed me in these

terms:

"What did you do last night? Ah! so you think that you alone have the right to make the regiment respected? I hope they will settle you this time, at any rate. By order of the General of Division, Baron Aymard, a duel will take place to-morrow between two corps. Seven fencing-masters of the 30th will be at Fort Calvaire to-morrow to meet seven fencingmasters of the 60th (commanded by their officer) to settle their quarrel by means of the sword."

I confess that while the Colonel was speaking my eyes flashed with joy, and when he had finished. I cried wildly-" Long live General Aymard!" Although the staff were present everyone burst out laughing.

The Lieutenant-Colonel, Monsieur Courrège, who was very fond of me, gave me twenty francs with which to drink his health.

"Drink it to-day," said Colonel Lamarre," for you are not sure of being able to do so to-morrow!"

"I shall drink it now, with the fencing-masters who are going with me, Colonel, and I am certain that you will give me some more to-morrow after the duel."

"Who is going with you?" asked the Colonel. "If Lieutenant Bondeville and Sergeant Duillestre, the senior master, will allow me, I shall choose Versini (now Captain in the 20th Rifles), Casanova (discharged, now a justice of the peace), Santelli

(now chief of a squadron of gendarmery), Simoni (who died a captain in Africa), Antomarchi (discharged, now mayor of Noesi), Deconsimi (who was murdered in Corsica), and Guis, the promoter of the quarrel."

My choice was approved.

All that day the two regiments, and, indeed, the whole garrison, could talk of nothing but the handto-hand fight. Throughout the division everyone was impatiently waiting for next day to come, when it would be known which of the two regiments was the victor.

A great many of my readers will perhaps not believe these things, and will ask if, in the nineteenth century, the public can possibly find any pleasure in such wholesale murder and bloodshed? I will answer that the soldier is moved by the honour of arms alone. Horse-races, where the bets are publicly made, the rise and fall of stocks, bull-fights, diplomatic fencing, and the discussions of the two Chambers are nothing to the trooper. A duel, a battle alone can rouse him!

The next morning, at precisely six o'clock, fourteen soldiers, headed by two officers, met on the road to Fort Calvaire (14th December, 1836), at the CroixRousse, for the purpose of killing each other, by order of General Aymard, and Colonels de Lamane and Husson, to save the honour of the regiment.

Arrived on the ground, the two officers saluted each other.

Jocquet of the 30th and I took our weapons.

He was the first corporal who had struck Guis; accordingly he was the first champion chosen by his colleagues.

After a few very guarded passes he parried tierce and tried to make a lunge, thinking that he had hurt me mortally; I made a counter-pass, and putting my weapon back to prime with a turn of my wrist, he killed himself by falling with all his weight on my blade.

The sapper Millet took his place, with Jocquet's weapon, and attacked me furiously.

I hardly had time to ward off his blows. Fortunately for me he did not lunge forward.

He was drenched with perspiration, and we had as yet accomplished nothing. The officer of the 30th, Monsieur Petit, asked us to rest a moment. "No!" said I, and we continued.

Jocquet died parrying tierce. Millet died parrying quarte. With a parry and thrust, pressing his weapon back and lunging forward against it (as in a fencing lesson), I planted my sword in his right breast.

A third, Corporal Martin, undressed and took his stand opposite me. While Martin was taking Millet's place, Versini and Casanova, without their shirts,

and a sword in their hands, insisted upon taking mine, saying that I had done my share, that I was tired and that I ought to be relieved. A discussion arose. During this time Martin and I were resting, looking at each other without speaking. After a few words together the two officers decided that I was to continue until I was either wounded or killed.

"Killed!" I said aloud.

Then, as soon as our weapons were crossed, I drew my feet together, parrying quarte, then lunged forward with such violence that my blade entered his body up to the hilt. He fell on his back, and I went down with him. some blood into my face; at the sight of his blood, the two corpses, and the sound of Millet's groans, I tore my weapon violently from Martin's chest; then, turning to the officer of the 30th

As I rose he coughed up

"Now for another!" I cried, "now for another! Here's the butcher!" For a moment I was quite mad.

At these cries a commissary of police (Monsieur Martinet) and a squad of policemen leapt the wall and put an end to the fight. They disarmed me forcibly; Versini and Casanova dressed me and took me back to the barracks. They shut me up in my room. Of course, by this time the whole garrison knew what had happened. Versini stood at my