In what manner the duel shall be fought, the insulted party need not
yet make known. Up to this point we know nothing more than that it is
to be fought with swords. The usual weapon amongst the students is a
long two-edged sword, with a basket hilt, round which the colours of
the Chore are wound. It is long and flexible, in order that the blade
may throw itself over that of the opponent when he parries, as the duel
is generally fought by cutting and not by thrusting. This sword runs
not to a point, but is, as it were, at the end cut square off. In some
few universities they fight in the Paris fashion, that is, by lunging
with the rapier, as in Würtzburg, Jena, and others. If the cause of
offence or injury is heavy, they resort to the crooked sabre, or to
pistols. In such cases, the person who gives the offence implying the
challenge, does not style the insulted party a _Dummen jungen_, but an
_Infamen_, an infamous fellow.
The crooked sabre is a dangerous weapon of great weight, resembling in
its curve and length the dragoon sabre, and occasions the deeper and
more dangerous wounds, in that the duellist having made his stroke
draws it back with full strength, and is thus in a condition to cut
through every thing which comes within the sweep of his curve. It
requires strength to use it well. Student with student only can make
use of the Schläger, or regular duelling sword. With those who are not
students he fights with the crooked sabre, or with pistols; with a
military man, with the straight sabre, which also is a dangerous
weapon.
By far the fewer number of duels spring out of actual insults or
injuries, or rather we should say, the student seldom fights because he
is insulted, but insults because he wishes to fight. Contests, on
account of actual and genuine insults, are generally amongst the
_Camels_, or those who do not belong to any Chore: seldom amongst the
Chore members. When these, however, become, on any occasion, very
hostile to each other, or have a particular desire to measure one
another's skill, this is always fought in the Single Round, of which
more anon. But that duels may not be wanting in which the Bursche may
set his bravery in its true light, a fine opportunity is afforded by
the so-called Allgemeinen, or general Kneips, which are held every
Friday. We shall farther on, come to these again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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