And all the time he had
in view one person only, his adversary D'Hubert. Once he confided to an
appreciative friend: "You see I don't know how to fawn on the right sort
of people. It isn't in me."
He did not get his step till a week after Austerlitz. The light cavalry
of the _Grande Armee_ had its hands very full of interesting work for a
little while. But directly the pressure of professional occupation had
been eased by the armistice, Captain Feraud took measures to arrange a
meeting without loss of time. "I know his tricks," he observed grimly.
"If I don't look sharp he will take care to get himself promoted over
the heads of a dozen better men than himself. He's got the knack of that
sort of thing." This duel was fought in Silesia. If not fought out to
a finish, it was at any rate fought to a standstill. The weapon was
the cavalry sabre, and the skill, the science, the vigour, and the
determination displayed by the adversaries compelled the outspoken
admiration of the beholders. It became the subject of talk on both
shores of the Danube, and as far south as the garrisons of Gratz
and Laybach. They crossed blades seven times. Both had many slight
cuts--mere scratches which bled profusely. Both refused to have the
combat stopped, time after time, with what appeared the most deadly
animosity. This appearance was caused on the part of Captain D'Hubert by
a rational desire to be done once for all with this worry; on the part
of Feraud by a tremendous exaltation of his pugnacious instincts and
the rage of wounded vanity.
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