agrant Havanas, of the prowess to be shown by him at the prospective
duel. He applied names like "_Daemelsack_"[18] to Kahle, of whom he
vowed to "make short work." In that way he not only silenced all his
former detractors, but actually became the lion of the garrison--a
dashing fellow, who had made the conquest of a lady's heart, while
others had to be satisfied with lesser game.

[18] "Daemelsack"--a low term of opprobrium.--TR.

He began to sing small, however, when he one day received Kahle's
challenge:

"Fifteen paces distance, visored duelling pistols, and an exchange of
bullets to the point of incapacitating one or both parties."

That he had not expected. Why, this was murder, he said, and the issue
of the forthcoming duel now became suddenly rather doubtful to him;
all the more as the major was known to be a good shot, and his
reputation as an excellent Nimrod was known beyond the confines of the
garrison.

So, then, Kolberg earnestly began to train for the meeting. Day after
day he could be seen issuing forth for a walk into the woods nearby,
for pistol practice. Scores of trees soon bore the traces of his
bullets. When the day of battle would come he meant to be prepared to
face his adversary well equipped.

Sometimes, when he sent leaden pellets, one after the other, into his
targets, the thought would occur to him that really he ought not to
hit the major, since he had sinned against him and betrayed his trust.
It was something like the last flickerings of a feeling of duty which
had dwindled for years in the slow process of moral decadence: the
last flutterings of a guilt-laden conscience and of a sense of
justice. These dim emotions, however, were drowned by a more powerful
sentiment: his newly awakened love of life, the primal feeling of
self-preservation, which seized him all the harder the more he began
to muse about the possibility of having to lose a life which offered
so much that was worth living for. An inner voice called to him: "Thou
shalt not die! Life is sweet!"

And there was only one way of carrying out his purpose,--to kill his
man.

In this way, with delays and supplementary investigation, four months
elapsed. Then at last the Council of Honor pronounced its sentence.
Kolberg was dismissed from the service; but, along with the formal
request to his Majesty to confirm the sentence, went a unanimously
signed petition for his reinstatement.

The proposed duel was likewise san