with his adversary. It was now his turn.
He gave Dupout a home-thrust, with the
comment:

"You see clearly you hold your hand too
low to parry properly. After you have made
your thrust, you gave me time to stick three
inches of cold iron between your ribs."

"This is only the second act" cried Dupont.
"We'll come to the catastrophe as soon as
possible."

Fournier would have liked to conclude the
third act by the aid of the pistol, but Dupont
claimed the military privilege which obliges
officers to fight with their swords. Dupont
was wise in maintaining his right, for Fournier's
expertness as a pistol shot is still
remembered with astonishment. He had
accustomed his servant to hold between his
fingers a piece of money, which he sent flying
with a bullet at five-and-twenty paces
distance. And frequently one of the hussars of
his regiment, as he galloped past smoking his
pipe, was surprised to find it smashed
between his lips, without suspecting that
Fouruier had amused himself by making a
target of the tobacco-bowl.

The catastrophe, since so we must style it,
brought about no decisive result; they each
received a trifling scratch. Then these
two wise-heads, annoyed at so negative a
result, agreed to recommence the struggle
until one of the two should confess himself
beaten, and should renounce all further
resistance. They therefore drew up the
following little treaty, which still exists in the
possession of Colonel Berger:

I. Whenever Messieurs Dupont and Fournier shall
happen to be within thirty leagues' distance of each
other, they shall each perform half the distance, for
the sake of a meeting sword in hand:

II. If one of the two contracting parties is unavoidably
hindered by his military duties, the party who is
free shall travel the whole of the distance, in order to
reconcile the necessities of the service with, the
exigences of the present treaty:

III. No excuse shall be admissible except those
resuiting from military obligations:

IV. The present treaty being entered into in good
faith, its conditions may be modified with, the consent
of the parties.

This treaty was executed. Whenever the
two madmen were able to meet, they fought,
and the most extraordinary correspondence,
in the second person, too, the most familiar
form of French speech, was exchanged
between them.

I am invited to a déjeûner by the officers of the
Regiment of Chasseurs at Lunéville [wrote one of
them]. I expect to take a journey there, to accept
this polite invitation. As you are on leave of absence
there, we will take advantage, if you like, of my short
stay, to have a poke at each other.

Or again:

DEAR FRIEND,—I shall be passing through
Strasbourg the fifth of November next, about noon. You
will wait for me at the Hotel des Postes; we will
have a little fencing.

Sometimes the promotion of one of these
duellists put a temporary stop to the regular
course of their encounters. The third article
of the treaty enjoined respect for the military
hierarchy. There is a letter from Fournier
to Dupont, as follows:

MY DEAR DUPONT,—I am informed that the
Emperor has done justice to your merits by promoting you
to the rank of General of Brigade. Accept my sincere
congratulations on an advancement which is no more
than the natural consequence of your knowledge and
your courage. For myself, there is a double motive
for rejoicing at your nomination. In the first place,
the satisfaction given by a circumstance so flattering to
your future prospects; and secondly, the permission
which it gives us of having a turn together at the first
opportunity.

The singularity of this affair, lasting, as it
did, many years, attracted in time the
public attention. Dupont and Fournier
strictly observed the clauses of their treaty.
Their persons were marked with numerous
scars; they continued, all the same for that,
to cut and slash at each other in most
enthusiastic style; and General Fournier used to
observe, now and then, "It is really astonishing
that I, who always kill my man, cannot
contrive to kill that devil Dupont."

By-and-bye, General Dupont received the
order to join the Army of the Grisons.
Dupont was not expected, and no preparations
had been made for his reception. There
was no inn on the spot occupied by the staff.
The General was in vain trying to find a
lodging, when he perceived before him a
châlet, through whose windows the light of a
fire was gleaming. Dupont did not hesitate
to go and ask shelter and hospitality of the
fortunate inhabitant of the wooden cottage.
He knocked at the door; he opened it; he
entered. A man was sitting writing in front
of a bureau; he turned his head to regard
his visitor. Recognising the unexpected
guest who came to interrupt his correspondence,
he said, before the other could cross
the threshold,

"Ah! that's you, Dupont. We will have
a little bit of a fence."

"By all means; with all my heart," said
Dupont to Fournier, who chanced to be the
occupant of the chalet. And they set to
work, chatting between the passes.

"I thought you were employed in the
interior? " said Fournier.

"The minister has put me into the fourth
corps."

"Really! What a curious coincidence!
I command the cavalry there. And so, you
are only just arrived?"

"I got out of the carriage five minutes ago."

"And your first thoughts were devoted to
me. How very kind!"

At last, General Dupont's sword, after
traversing General Fournier's thrust, struck
the wall.

"Sacrédié !" shouted Fournier.

"You did not expect that?"