Several of us stood round a man demonstrating the operation of this weapon when unloaded. I said to him, “You cannot bring that pistol on to the forehead of that stuffed ox’s head without pointing it at one of us during the process.”
He was not able to do so. Each time he tried one of us called out, “You are pointing it at me.”
I will explain by analogy the reason of this difficulty.
Some men, in defiance of the conventions, cut cheese into small cubes, stick their knife into them and convey the cheese into their mouths, without cutting their mouths, and acquire great skill by long practice.
Take a sharp knife-blade, fasten it firmly at right angles to the handle, and ask an expert cheese eater to cut cubes of cheese and transfer them to his mouth with this safety (?) knife. He will cut his mouth before he has eaten half a dozen pieces of cheese.
CHAPTER LX
COMPETITIONS
The duelling clubs at Gastinne-Renettes’ have very practical and interesting competitions.