If he does not have the butt of his pistol to his thigh, and muzzle to ground; or if he raises his pistol or even moves it before the word “feu”; or if he fires after the word “trois” has been spoken, and he kills his man, he is liable, if his adversary’s seconds lodge a complaint, to be tried for murder.
The usual speed at which these words are spoken is a hundred words to the minute, but, as I have said, the director often hurries the words in order to baffle the duellists and prevent their injuring each other fatally.
Whether the duel should continue if neither combatant is sufficiently injured after the interchange of shots to prevent his going on shooting is a matter that the seconds have arranged between them before the duel begins. It depends chiefly upon the gravity of the reason for which the duel is fought.
The position to stand in, in my opinion, should not be quite sideways.
Of course one should, theoretically, make as small a target as possible for one’s opponent, and therefore the coat should be buttoned close. But whereas if standing quite sideways one makes a smaller mark, if hit when in that position the wound will probably prove more dangerous.
A bullet which would perforate both lungs of a man standing sideways, will most likely go through one lung only if he be standing more full face. Several other internal organs are also safer when the shooters stand full face; by leaning forward the ribs are closer together and afford protection to the heart and lungs; also from a shooting point of view, one can make much better practice when standing more or less facing the object to be hit, than when craning one’s head round to try and look over one’s right shoulder, and so hampering one’s right arm and straining the eyes.
It is generally considered that one should look as dark as possible to one’s opponent, and turn up one’s collar to avoid showing a white mark. But with this I am not sure that I quite agree. Personally I should prefer to shoot at an entirely black target without a white collar or white patch anywhere diverting one’s eye, unless that white was at a place one wanted to hit.
But, if a very bad shot were going to fire at me, I should prefer his trying to hit my collar, as he would then be more likely to shoot over my head, or to miss me by shooting past me, than if he tried to hit me in the middle of the body.
The white collar would, however, be hidden by the right hand and pistol as soon as the pistol was raised, if aim were taken at an opponent’s head.
The position safest for yourself is to aim at your opponent’s head, and to get on to that position immediately after the word “feu,” keeping your own head low.