Scars of Honour.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 20, 18 May 1910, Page 65

Scars of Honour.

DEATHLESS DUELS GF GERMAN STUDENTS.

Students’ duels, although forbidden by Jaw, are almost as much a feature, of life in German universities as ever they jrere.

People who see much of German society often see men who wear scars upon their faces or their heads. Each of these scars is a mark left by a fellow students’ sword. The duel of the German university is rarely the result of a quarrel. The adversaries may be, and often are, the warmest of friends. It is rather a student sport, like boxing, wrestling or fencing with foils. The only difference between the latter and the duel is that the foils in the former are made harmless by buttons on their points, and the heads and bodies of the fencers are made invulnerable by masks and pads, while in the latter the swords are sharp and the heads and faces of the duellists are left bare, except for the eyes, which are protected by goggles. Fencing is a mere matter of skill—the lighting of the German students combines skill with a considerable amount of personal bravery and ability to suffer pain and loss of blood.

The sear upon the student’s face is a mark of honour, a matter of pride. It testifies before the world that he has crossed swords with an antagonist, and come out of the encounter at least with honour. Of course, there are students .who have had the good fortune to inflict iwounds and never to receive them, but these are rare, for skill in duelling is attained only through practice, and in practice wounds are almost a certainty.

Men are not killed in these duels. Every precaution is taken to prevent any wound that is at all likely to be more than a surface cut. The right arm, the body, throat, and eyes are protected by a special armour, and there is always a surgeon prepared to treat every cut on the spot.

In every German city that has a university or- college there is in some central place a Pauklokai or duelling room. It is often a dance hall or assembly room, and almost always attached to some restaurant or beer hall, for no gathering of German students would be possible without eating, and especially drinking. The Pauklokai always has dressing rooms that can be used by the principals and their seconds, and the main hall is large enough to accommodate all the students who are likely to be present at the mensur. On a day when a Schlachtefest is to take place the town is gay from early morning with student's in the coloured caps of their corps or societies, for the Student who remains within the university halls to study when swords are to flash and blood is to flow is a strange being, utterly lacking in esprit de corps.

In an article in “Moderns Kunst,” Dr. Paul Grabein gives a vivid description of a student's duel. “Here comes the several colour-bear-ers,” writes Dr. Grabein. “Each corps has brought its ministering spirits, who play a very important role on the field of combat. They spread out the mats upon which the fight is to take place, pne of these, adorned with the same old patina, red-brown sailcloth that has drunk the juice of champions. They place the swords in the baskets. Then begin the preliminary orders of the officials.

“Make ready for the bandaging of the Herr Paukenten! “And the bandaging is a work of art'. Dow thy head in reverence, oh! simple fresher, and view in amazement within that little back room the wonder-work of the old expert. Watch how he, with cunning hands, winds the wadded silken bindings from the shoulder even to the light hand of the duellist, tight here and looser at the wrist, that it may not impede the free movement of the sword.

“ ‘Not so tight there at the elbow, old man, not quite so tight.” the swordsman upon the stool cries his warning. But his caution arouses only mild amusement in tlie old fellow with the silvered hair I —has he not already bandaged unnumbered generations of the Suabian race for battle and for war?

“ ‘Nay, nay, Herr Doctor,' he laughs, 'don’t worry. 1 have already bandaged yon not so tight.’” .While the adversaries are being bandaged other personages are already busy. ■First of all there the respective fencing

masters. They have already brought the parties together and laid dowu the rules

under which they shall fence with each other, for on such occasions it is naturally desirable that the opponents be as evenly matched as possible. In the meantime other unforeseen matters are being attended to. A wristband is being loosened; the programme is being revised, for the order in which the combats shall take place must be settled before they begin. The seconds have donned their costumes. Shoulder to shoulder they march, with the referee, measuring off and marking the limits beyond which in either direction the combatants must not step; then they return to their principals. “All ready?”

Not quite. The fighting goggles are strapped firmly upon the face, so that their rim fits close upon the bridge of the nose. The right hand, in its gauntlet of raw leather, tries the grip of the sword to feel if it lies well in the hand, though this is scarcely necessary, for it is a good and tried blade that has proved its quality long ago. The damaged one now leaps from his stool; the colour-bearer straps the heavy leather fencing vest about his back so that it hangs down free in front. Then he strides forth into the hall, his outstretched right hand holding the sword. The corps leader precedes him, his seconds and witnesses support him, on either side.

The duel surgeon makes a final examination with the critical eye of the oldtimer who has had long experience in the art of the sword, and then he retires to the window, where he has set up his surgery, with its washbowl, its carbolic acid, a full supply of needles, forceps, lancets, and other pleasant tools.

“Now, both the combatants,” continues Dr. Grabein, “stand fully armed before each other upon the mat. Through the deep blaek holes of the goggles sparkle the menacing eyes of the adversaries. Their right hands involuntarily grip tighter the handles of their swords.”

The spectators stand or sit drinking and laughing in an irregular circle about the duellists. The seconds raise their caps. One of them cries:— “Herr Referee, I ask silence for the first fencing bout between Palatia and Bavaria.” The referee raises his cap and orders —“Silence; let the bout begin.” Now follow quickly and clearly the commands of the two seconds:— “Cross swords!” “Crossed tbev are!” “Halt!” The two blades that have struck together in a flash fly apart to the attention position, for this was morelv the so-called “honours.” or salute. “Cross swords!” “Crossed they are!” “Let 'er go!” Now the bout is on in earnest. “Flashing, the blades whirl in the air—quart, tierce, thrust, elinking sharply or with dull thuds, as the steel of the blades or the well padded bodies are struck. The fighting game is on; the duellists display their skill. Each aims at the spot he has selected, changing swiftly as soon as he thinks he has