DUEL WITH WAX BULLETS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9273, 27 June 1908, Page 2

DUEL WITH WAX BULLETS.

Tin* world's Best Shot "Sill** 1 !a tto Fixit Round. Such widespread interest has b<MU aroused by the aooount of the exhlbt tion pistol duelling with wax bullets, in which Mr Walter Winans and otherti' of the world's deadliest shots will engage at the Franco-British Exhibition, that the London " Express " reoentfy asked Mr Winans to give * private. duelling display on behalf of Hs road- . ers. The "Express* represeixtatfv* bail sent the following thrilling account oi his experience in faoing toe pistol cf a deadly marksman in mortal combat. "I journeyed to Surrenden Park wifh some misgiving, thirst for realism, y«i knowing I might get moro than I bargained for. It was oheering now* that only a few days before Mr Winans h^ got a dozen successive bull's-eyes at thm regulation duelling distance. Tir But I received the warmest of welcomes. It was difficult to think so amiable a man could ever find himseH a duellist perforce. Gentle of speech, clear of eye, wondrously steady of hand, spare, lithe, and muscular of body,- a man of middle age o*»d' eversmiling face, whose brown moustaches were just streaked with grey-r-that was the man whose ohallenge to a pfcSol duel I had accepted. . . . ■ - SOUS FEATS. " Just by way of encouragement hrn showed me some of the finer possibilities of firearms. "At Isft distance he put a bullet plumb through the middle of an ace of hearts card, and let daylight into the body of a bluebottle, both at the first shot. My pores opened! . " Next he fired at a nine of hearts card edgeways, and with one shot ripped it ud, following this by. snuffing a candle with a revolver at the first attempt. Something worse than the wmdl crept up my spine! "But that was not all. He took a Winchester automatic rifle and aimed at a small oardboard figure of a sol" dier, which he 'killed* ten times i* sis seconds! ' "I began to be eager for the ht&vr ning and ending of the duel. ''But Mr Winans was in no bxtrr*. He wanted to show me that although! my heart was under my jacket, his bullet could find it. He fixed an ordinary target the wrong way round, so that, ha had to guess where the bull's-eye was. He guessed correctly three times out of three; and, finally, as though to show me it was no use running away, he! hurled a polo ball ahead, and actually Slaved polo with a rifle, keeping tha* all rolling with* every shot 1 " By this time I was quite ready for the honour of being slain, by suck' a man. and he, as he led me forth to a quiet spot, as smilingly prepared to add to his triumphs. " We must have made a picturesque train as we progressed to the soene .of combat — first Mr Winans, holding his hat cm as he breasted the noi^-easter; then myself, going forth to execution and piously hoping the wind would blow just nard enough to deflect the bullets 3 and, lastly, a couple of servants carrying the pistols and ammunition, two) thick, monkish-looking cloaks and two helmets, such as fencers wear, only more stoutly built, and with half-inch. plate-glass before the eyes and a nap of thick leather to protect the throat. the vxnsL. ' "We came to a halt. X was given d bullet to examine; the bullet that was; to wound me in a mortal spot. It was a big, black bullet made of wax, and it measured, nearly half an inch in diameter. It seemed heavy, too. I wai inspired by the information that a lit&la too heavy charge of powder behind it might easily make it penetrate^ land that Mr Winans a few days previously had chipped a lump out of a French duellist's hand. " Then I was handed a pistoJ, a big, black pistol that could kill a lion. A feeble pleasure lit my heart when I. saw the strong metal shield round the trigger. A wax bullet could hardly reach; my hand through that. ''Tremblingly I submitted to be helmeted and then garbed in the monkish cloak, which was strapped round my ankles and waist, so that I might not present too big a target. 'f Then it was, ' Are you ready?' and twenty-five yards away I saw Mr Walter Winans ready to shoot me. X thought of the ace of hearts, the bluebottle, the candle, the soldier, tie polo ball, all the trophies in Surrenden Hall, all my past life and its vain boastings, all the future that was not to be, ana last, but not least, of the coming bullet, coming at a velocity of nearly 100 yardd a second — all that passed through my mind in a flash. " Then the umpire sßouted 'FireP at which, we raised our pistols — at least, I know I did. At the moment # I could not see my adversary or anything else. But the umpire was to count ' One— :two — three ' before wo pulled our triggers. I suppose the counting look one second 1 yet it seemed like one full hour. I looked down the gleaming barrel of Mr Winans' weapon, and I could see that bullet coming out of it at 100 yards a second, growing as it came hurtling tot the size of the full moon, till, just as 1 ' three ' was called, and two reporte rang. out^ it reached me. "dlwd!" "But instead of wiping nre off the] face of the earth it passed by, and I felt nothing but the merest puff of windi. I imagined I ought to fall, bull I couldn't. And then — strangest thing of all— Mr Winans's cheery voice rani out, ' You've shot me in the heart !' " I had hit the champion shot of Urn world at the first attempt. But tfcff y wax bullet idea had not yet taken hoM j' of me. I asked anxiously, ' Asa yort t hurt?' ( "'Yes, killed/ said Mr Winana. a* he laughingly showed me the, whit*/ mark over hia heart wiere the wax bullet had flattened. There was no whit* mark on my cloak t so he had missed. " But I quickly conceived that nd had been playing with me, and when I took my stand for a second shot, with a little reassurance, I determined ttf find his heart by design, not by a fluke. " I could not help a tremor, however, as I faced that level barrel again ; Lot I tried to aim true. *one— -two-i three, 1 sounded sharply again. * Bang! bangl' and I felt a sudden prod ove* my own heart. By all tibe rules I was killed, and I thought I ought to be jying prone. "But another ooneideratton bright me to my senses. ' You missed me that time,' laughed Mr Winans. And so I had, for all my forced coolness. H« told me he heaxd the bullet whira widtf of his shoulder. -'Mr Winans also demonstrated itf me the right way and the wrong may of holding a revolver, instancing a leading London actor who persistently presents hie weapon with his arm bent and his hand clasping the extremity of tho butt. 'The weapon would kick, and a straight aim would be very difficult, 1 said Mr Winans. ' The an* should be iwrfectly straight, and ta* hand clasped firmly round tihe butt with the thumb in line wii& 1&o ba« re!.' " Mr Winans holds all the world's ra volver records, and his sideboards ami tables are laden with beautiful oapa, vases and other valuable prizes. H4 intends to compete in the shooting com tests at the Olympic Games. "The pistol duelling, however, is ti take place on July 13 and 14 in conned tion. with the Franco-British Exhibi tion. Two of the marksmen who "wll oppose Mr Winan* we the Comto <j< Montford, ttlio is tl» hest ehot it Prance, and M. Ouetare Ybulquin.'*