still insist."

"And so must I."

This singular and very original altercation went on for some time. At
last O'Halloran took the cushions off the seat, and deliberately sat
down, facing me, with his legs dangling over the back of the sleigh.
Seeing that our argument was to be continued for some time, and that he
was thus making himself comfortable, I did the same. We thus sat facing
one another.

The seconds here again interposed, but were again baffled by
O'Halloran, who explained the whole situation to them in so forcible a
manner that they did not know how to answer him. For my part, I was
firm in my resolve, and was not going to fire unless we both fired
together. True, I might have fired in the air; but I knew O'Halloran so
well by this time that I was convinced, if I did such a thing, he would
reproach me for it, and insist on my firing again. And in that case it
would all have to be commenced afresh.

So there we sat, with our legs dangling over the backs of our
respective sleighs, facing one another, pistol in hand, and
occasionally renewing the discussion. He was obstinate, I was equally
so, and the time began to pass away, and the situation gradually grew
more and more tedious to our companions. Still they could not say any
thing. It was a punctilio of honor which they could not argue down,
and behind all the argument which might be used there arose the very
impressive accumulation of O'Halloran's past experience in the field of
honor. So all that they could do was to make the best of the situation.

The situation! It was, at best, a dismal one. Overhead was a leaden
sky; underneath, the thawing snow, which every hour assumed a more
watery appearance; in the distance arose the dreary, gloomy, melancholy
forest-trees; while all around was a thin, fine drizzle, which
enveloped us, saturating and soaking us with watery vapor. We all
became limp and bedraggled, in soul as well as body. The most
determined buoyancy of spirit could not withstand the influence of that
drizzle, and, one by one, we all sank beneath it.

But not without a struggle. For, at first, as O'Halloran and I thus sat
facing one another, we did not forget the ordinary civilities of life,
nor were we satisfied with sitting and staring at one another. On the
contrary, we sought to beguile the time with an interchange of courtesy
on both sides. I took my flask and drank to the health of O'Halloran.
O'Halloran responded. The seconds followed.