The challenge sent by General Boulanger to M. Ferry will
probably not result in a duel, M. Ferry's seconds refusing to allow him to accept the proposed conditione,—pistols at twenty- five paces, with the right to take aim and to advance five paces, and in the case of neither party being wounded, a second shot at fifteen paces at a given signal. M. do Cassagnac, certainly an authority on duelling, declares with some reason that General Boulanger's conditions are not those of a duel, and that the combatants might as well adopt the happy despatch of the Japanese. Though no one can help a feeling of disgust at the bloodthirstiness and savagery of these terms, we believe that nothing would kill duelling so quickly as the fear of fighting under such conditions, unless, indeed, the practice could happily be rendered ridiculous. A recent Hungarian duel has gone far in this direction. The combatants were two waiters. While loading the weapons, one of the seconds contrived to blow off his own fingers, and to lodge a bullet in the other second's body. The principals thereupon shook hands, declared honour satisfied, and conveyed their wounded friends to the hospital. A few more such encounters, and duelling will be a lost art.
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