slip at night, when he betook himself to the lodgings of a friend,
whom he engaged as his second, and with whom he immediately took the
field, in order to avoid the search which Jolter, upon missing him,
might set on foot.

This was a necessary precaution; for as he did not appear at supper, and
Pipes, who usually attended him in his excursions, could give no account
of his motions, the governor was dreadfully alarmed at his absence, and
ordered his man to run in quest of his master to all the places which
he used to frequent, while he himself went to the commissaire, and,
communicating his suspicions, was accommodated with a party of the
horse-guards, who patrolled round all the environs of the city, with a
view of preventing the rencounter. Pipes might have directed them to the
lady, by whose information they could have learned the name and lodgings
of the mousquetaire, and if he had been apprehended the duel would not
have happened; but he did not choose to run the risk of disobliging his
master by intermeddling in the affair, and was moreover very desirous
that the Frenchman should be humbled; for he never doubted that
Peregrine was more than a match for any two men in France. In this
confidence, therefore, he sought his master with great diligence, not
with a view of disappointing his intention, but in order to attend him
to the battle, that he might stand by him, and see justice done.

While this inquiry was carried on, our hero and his companion concealed
themselves among some weeds, that grew on the edge of the parapet, a few
yards from the spot where he had agreed to meet the mousquetaire;
and scarce had the morning rendered objects distinguishable when they
perceived their men advancing boldly to the place. Peregrine, seeing
them approach sprang forward to the ground, that he might have the glory
of anticipating his antagonist; and swords being drawn, all four were
engaged in a twinkling. Pickle's eagerness had well nigh cost him
his life; for, without minding his footing, he flew directly to his
opposite, and, stumbling over a stone, was wounded on one side of his
head before he could recover his attitude. Far from being dispirited at
this check, it served only to animate him the more; being endowed with
uncommon agility, he retrieved his posture in a moment; and having
parried a second thrust, returned the lunge with such incredible speed,
that the soldier had not time to resume his guard, but was immediate