, each
ready to bring to bear his utmost skill, for, from the first the German
had fought with a vindictive rage which plainly showed that he was
determined to disable, if he did not slay, his adversary; while, enraged
as he had been, there was, after some hours of sleep, no such desire on
the part of Sir Robert. He desired to wound his enemy, but that was
all; and as he at the first engagement realised the German's intentions,
he fought cautiously, confining himself principally to defence, save
when he was driven, for his own safety, to retaliate.

The seconds and those who had come as friends, at the expense of a
breach of discipline and the consequences which might follow, had
grasped this from the first; and though he had great faith in his
friend's skill, Captain Murray had been longing for an opportunity to
interfere and end the encounter. None had presented itself, and the
German officers had so coldly refused to listen to any attempt at
mediation that there was nothing for it but to let matters take their
course.

And now, as the adversaries stood motionless with their blades crossed,
Sir Robert's friends felt to a man, as skilled fencers, that the time
had arrived for him to take the initiative, press his adversary home,
and end the duel by wounding him.

But Sir Robert still stood on his guard, the feeling in his breast
being--in spite of the terrible provocation he had received--that he had
done wrong in striking his colonel's guest, and he kept cool and
clear-headed, resolved not to attack.

Then, all at once, by an almost imperceptible movement of the wrist, the
baron made his sword blade play about his enemy's, laying himself open
to attack, to tempt his adversary to begin.

Twice over he placed himself at so great a disadvantage that it would
have been easy for Sir Robert to have delivered dangerous thrusts; but
the opportunities were declined, for the English captain's mind was made
up, and Frank heard an impatient word from Murray's lips, while Andrew
uttered a loud sigh.

Then, quick as lightning, the baron resumed his old tactics, sending in
thrust after thrust with all the skill he could command. His blade
quivered and bent, and seemed to lick that of Sir Robert like a lambent
tongue of fire; and Frank felt ready to choke, as he, with Andrew,
unable to control their excitement, crept nearer and nearer to the
actors in the terrible life drama, till they were close behind Captain
Murray and