d white, with a silver braiding on the cuffs and collar--and looked
handsomer than ever I saw him. The change his features had undergone
gave him an air of manliness and confidence that greatly improved him,
and his whole carriage indicated a degree of self-reliance and energy
which became him perfectly. A faint blush coloured his cheek as he saw
me enter, and he lifted his cap straight above his head and saluted me
courteously, but with an evident effort to appear at ease before me.
I returned his salute mournfully--perhaps reproachfully, too, for he
turned away and whispered something to a friend at his side.

Although I had seen many duels with the sword, it was the first time
I was present at an affair with pistols in Germany; and I was no less
surprised than shocked to perceive that one of the party produced a
dice-box and dice, and placed them on a table.

Eisendecker all this time sat far apart from the rest, and, with folded
arms and half-closed eyelids, seemed to wait in patience for the moment
of being called on.

'What are they throwing for, yonder?' whispered I to a Saxon student
near me.

'For the shot, of course,' said he; 'not but that they might spare
themselves the labour. Eisendecker must fire first; and as for who comes
second after him----'

'Is he so sure as that?' asked I in terror; for the fearful vision of
blood would not leave my mind.

'That is he. The fellow that can knock a bullet off a champagne bottle
at five-and-twenty paces may chance to hit a man at fifteen.'

'Muehry has it,' cried out one of those at the table; and I heard the
words repeated from mouth to mouth till they reached Eisendecker, as he
moved his cane listlessly to and fro in the mill-stream.

'Remember Ludwig,' said his friend, as he grasped his arm with a
stronger clasp; 'remember what I told you.'

The other nodded carelessly, and merely said, 'Is all ready?'

'Stand here, Eisendecker,' said Muehry's second, as he dropped a pebble
in the grass.

Muehry was already placed, and stood erect, his eyes steadily directed to
his antagonist, who never once looked towards him, but kept his glance
fixed straight in front.

'You fire first, sir,' said Muehry's friend, while I could mark that his
voice trembled slightly at the words. 'You may reserve your fire till I
have counted twenty after the word is given.'

As he spoke he placed the pistol in Eisendecker's hand, and called out--

'Gentlemen, fall back, fall bac