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but one, and that one had two red-cap students at it and ten vacant places, the yellow-caps, the blue-caps, the white caps, and the green caps, seeking seats, would go by that table and not seem to see it, nor
seem to be aware that there was such a table in the grounds. The student by whose courtesy we had been enabled to visit the dueling-place, wore the white cap--Prussian Corps. He introduced us to many white caps, but to none of another color. The corps etiquette extended even to us, who were strangers, and required us to group with the white corps only, and speak only with the white corps, while we were their guests, and keep aloof from the caps of the other colors. Once I wished to examine some of the swords, but an American student said, "It would not be quite polite; these now in the windows all have red hilts or blue; they will
bring in some with white hilts presently, and those you can handle freely." When a sword was broken in the first duel, I wanted a piece of it; but its hilt was the wrong color, so it was considered best and
politest to await a properer season.
It was brought to me after the room was cleared, and I will now make a "life-size" sketch of it by tracing a line around it with my pen, to
show the width of the weapon. [Figure 1] The length of these swords is about three feet, and they are quite heavy. One's disposition to cheer, during the course of the duels or at their close, was naturally strong,
but corps etiquette forbade any demonstrations of this sort. However brilliant a contest or a victory might be, no sign or sound betrayed
that any one was moved. A dignified gravity and repression were
maintained at all times.
When the dueling was finished and we were ready to go, the gentlemen of
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the Prussian Corps to whom we had been introduced took off their caps in the courteous German way, and also shook hands; their brethren of the same order took off their caps and bowed, but without shaking hands; the gentlemen of the other corps treated us just as they would have treated white caps--they fell apart, apparently unconsciously, and left us an unobstructed pathway, but did not seem to see us or know we were there. If we had gone thither the following week as guests of another corps,
the white caps, without meaning any offense, would have observed the etiquette of their order and ignored our presence.
[How strangely are comedy and tragedy blended in this life! I had not been home a full half-hour, after witnessing those playful sham-duels, when circumstances made it necessary for me to get ready immediately to assist personally at a real one--a duel with no effeminate limitation in
the matter of results, but a battle to the death. An account of it, in
the next chapter, will show the reader that duels between boys, for fun, and duels between men in earnest, are very different affairs.]
A TRAMP ABROAD, Part 2
By Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens) First published in 1880
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Illustrations taken from an 1880 First Edition
ILLUSTRATIONS:
1.A A A PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR
2.A A A TITIAN'S MOSES
3.A A A THE AUTHOR'S MEMORIES
32.A A FRENCH CALM
33.A A THE CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
34.A A A SEARCH
35.A A HE SWOONED PONDEROUSLY
36.A A I ROLLED HIM OVER
37.A A THE ONE I HIRED
36.A A THE MARCH TO THE FIELD
39.A A THE POST OF DANGER
40.A A THE RECONCILIATION
41.A A AN OBJECT OF ADMIRATION
42.A A WAGNER
43.A A RAGING
44.A A ROARING
45.A A SHRIEKING
46.A A A CUSTOMARY THING
47.A A ONE OF THE "REST"
48.A A A CONTRIBUTION BOX
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49.A A CONSPICUOUS
50.A A TAIL PIECE
51.A A ONLY A SHRIEK
52.A A "HE ONLY CRY"
53.A A LATE COMERS CARED FOR
54.A A EVIDENTLY DREAMING
55.A A "TURN ON MORE RAIN"
56.A A HARRIS ATTENDING THE OPERA
57.A A PAINTING MY GREAT PICTURE
58.A A OUR START
59.A A AN UNKNOWN COSTUME
60.A A THE TOWER
61.A A SLOW BUT SURE
62.A A THE ROBBER CHIEF
63.A A AN HONEST MAN
64.A A THE TOWN BY NIGHT
65.A A GENERATIONS OF BAREFEET
66.A A OUR BEDROOM
67.A A PRACTICING
68.A A PAWING AROUND
69.A A A NIGHT'S WORK
70.A A LEAVING HEILBRONN
71.A A THE CAPTAIN
72.A A WAITING FOR THE TRAIN
CONTENTS:
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CHAPTER VIII The Great French Duel--Mistaken Notions--Outbreak in the
French Assembly--Calmness of M Gambetta--I Volunteer as Second--Drawing
up a Will--The Challenge and its Acceptance--Difficulty in Selection
of Weapons--Deciding on Distance--M. Gambetta's Firmness--Arranging Details--Hiring Hearses--How it was Kept from the Press--March to the Field--The Post of Danger--The Duel--The Result--General Rejoicings--The only One Hurt--A Firm Resolution
CHAPTER IX At the Theatre--German Ideal--At the Opera--The
Orchestra--Howlings and Wailings--A Curious Play--One Season of
Rest--The Wedding Chorus--Germans fond of the Opera--Funerals Needed
--A Private Party--What I Overheard--A Gentle Girl--A Contribution--box--Unpleasantly Conspicuous
CHAPTER X Four Hours with Wagner--A Wonderful Singer, Once--" Only a
Shriek"--An Ancient Vocalist--"He Only Cry"--Emotional Germans--A Wise Custom--Late Comers Rebuked--Heard to the Last--No Interruptions Allowed--A Royal Audience--An Eccentric King--Real Rain and More of
It--Immense Success--"Encore! Encore!"--Magnanimity of the King
CHAPTER XI Lessons in Art--My Great Picture of Heidelberg Castle--Its
Effect in the Exhibition--Mistaken for a Turner--A Studio--Waiting
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for Orders--A Tramp Decided On--The Start for Heilbronn--Our Walking
Dress--"Pleasant march to you"--We Take the Rail--German People on
Board--Not Understood--Speak only German and English--Wimpfen--A Funny
Tower--Dinner in the Garden--Vigorous Tramping--Ride in a Peasant's
Cart--A Famous Room
CHAPTER XII The Rathhaus--An Old Robber Knight, Gotz Von Berlichingen--His Famous Deeds--The Square Tower--A Curious old Church--A Gay Turn--out--A Legend--The Wives' Treasures--A Model Waiter--A Miracle Performed--An Old Town--The Worn Stones
CHAPTER XIII Early to Bed--Lonesome--Nervous Excitement--The Room We Occupied--Disturbed by a Mouse--Grow Desperate--The Old Remedy--A Shoe Thrown--Result--Hopelessly Awake--An Attempt to Dress--A Cruise