son's chin. The
doctor attended to the wounded.

By the terms, the duel was over. But Luigi was entirely out of patience,
and begged for one more exchange of shots, insisting that he had had no
fair chance, on account of his brother's indelicate behavior. Howard was
opposed to granting so unusual a privilege, but the judge took Luigi's
part, and added that indeed he himself might fairly be considered
entitled to another trial, because although the proxy on the other side
was in no way to blame for his (the judge's) humiliatingly resultless
work, the gentleman with whom he was fighting this duel was to blame for
it, since if he had played no advantages and had held his head still,
his proxy would have been disposed of early. He added:

"Count Luigi's request for another exchange is another proof that he is
a brave and chivalrous gentleman, and I beg that the courtesy he asks
may be accorded him."

"I thank you most sincerely for this generosity, Judge Driscoll," said
Luigi, with a polite bow, and moving to his place. Then he added--to
Angelo, "Now hold your grip, hold your grip, I tell you, and I'll land
him sure!"

The men stood erect, their pistol-arms at their sides, the two seconds
stood at their official posts, the doctor stood five paces in Wilson's
rear with his instruments and bandages in his hands. The deep stillness,
the peaceful moonlight, the motionless figures, made an impressive
picture and the impending fatal possibilities augmented
this impressiveness to solemnity. Wilson's hand began to
rise--slowly--slowly--higher--still higher--still higher--in another
moment:

"Boom!" the first stroke of midnight swung up out of the distance;
Angelo was off like a deer!

"Oh, you unspeakable traitor!" wailed his brother, as they went soaring
over the fence.

The others stood astonished and gazing; and so stood, watching that
strange spectacle until distance dissolved it and swept it from their
view. Then they rubbed their eyes like people waking out of a dream.

"Well, I've never seen anything like that before!" said the judge.
"Wilson, I am going to confess now, that I wasn't quite able to
believe in that leg business, and had a suspicion that it was a put-up
convenience between those twins; and when Count Angelo fainted I thought
I saw the whole scheme--thought it was pretext No. 1, and would be
followed by others till twelve o'clock should arrive, and Luigi would
get off with all the credit of seeming to