t him, and the two Grenadiers with grounded
arms standing with their hands resting on the muzzles of their pieces.

"Hallo! young men," cried the doctor, rising and stepping to them. "Is
that litter going to be all day?"

"They're bringing it, sir," said Frank; "we ran on first. How is he
now?"

Frank looked at the white face before him with its contracted features
and ghastly aspect about the pinched-in lips.

"About as bad as he can be, my lad. A man can't have a sharp piece of
steel run through his chest without feeling a bit uncomfortable. Lesson
for you, my boys. You see what duelling really is. You'll neither of
you quarrel and go out after this."

"Why not?" said Andrew sharply. "I should, and so would Frank Gowan, if
we were insulted by a foreigner."

"Bah!" cried the doctor testily. "Nice language for a boy like you."

"Please tell me, sir," said Frank anxiously. "Will he get better?"

"Why do you want to know, you young dog?" said the doctor, turning upon
him sharply. "No business here at all, either of you."

"My father is so anxious to know. I want to run back and tell him."

"Oh, that's it!" said the doctor gruffly. "No business to have broken
out to fight; but I suppose I must tell him. Go back and say that the
baron has got a hole in his chest and another in his back, and his life
is trying to slip out of one of them; but I've got them stopped, and
that before his life managed to pop out. Lucky for him that I was here;
and I'm very glad, tell your father, that it has turned out as it has,
for I stood all through the ugly business, expecting every moment that
he would go down wounded to the death."

"Yes, I'll tell him," said Frank hurriedly.

"Don't rush off like that, boy. How should you like to be a surgeon?"

"Not at all, sir."

"And quite right," said the doctor, taking out his box, and helping
himself to a liberal pinch of snuff. "Nice job for a man like me to
have to do all I can to save the life of a savage who did all he could
to murder one of my greatest friends. There, run back and tell him to
make his mind easy about my lord here. I won't let him die, and as soon
as I can I'll come and see to his arm."

The boys ran off again, passing the litter directly; but when they
reached the guard-house, the sentry refused to let them pass, and
summoned another of the Guards, who took in a message to the captain who
made the arrest.

He came to the door directly, and l