ar, Francois?' said he, approaching me, as I
arranged my jacket and vest, with my cap, on the ground.

"'A Rouen steel,' said I; 'too limber for most men, but I am so
accustomed to it, I prefer it.'

"'Ah! a pretty weapon indeed,' said he, drawing it from the scabbard,
and making one or two passes with it against an elder trunk. 'Was this
the blade you had with you in Egypt?'

"'Yes; I have worn none other for eight years.'

"'Ah, _ma foi!_ those Mamelukes. How I envy you those Mamelukes!' he
muttered to himself, as he walked back to his place.

"'Move a little, a very little, to the left; there's a shadow from that
tree. Can you see me well?' said I.

"'Perfectly; are you ready? Well; _en garde!_'

"Piccotin's forte, I soon saw, lay in the long meditated attack, where
each movement was part of an artfully devised series; and I perceived
that he suffered his adversary to gain several trifling advantages, by
way of giving him a false confidence, biding his own time to play off
the scores. In this description of fence he was more than my equal.
_My_ strength was in the skirmishing passages, where most men lunge at
random; then, no matter how confused the rally, I was as cool as in the
salute.

"For some time I permitted him to play his game out; and certainly
nothing could be more beautiful than his passes over the hilt. Twice he
planted his point within an inch of my bosom; and nothing but a spring
backwards would have saved me.

"At length, after a long-contested struggle, he made a feint within, and
then without, the guard, and succeeded in touching my sword-arm, above
the wrist.

"'A touch, I believe,' said he.

"'A mere nothing,' said I; for although I felt the blood running down
my sleeve, and oozing between my fingers, I was annoyed to think he had
made the first hit.

"'Ah, Francois, these Mamelukes were not of the premiere
force, after all. I have only been jesting all this time; see here.'
With that he closed on me, in a very different style from his former
attack. Pushing and parrying with the rapidity of lightning, he evinced
a skill in 'skirmish' I did not believe him possessed of. In this,
however, I was his master; and in a few seconds gave him my point
sharply, but not deeply, in the shoulder. Instead of dropping his
weapon when he received mine, he returned the thrust. I parried it,
and touched him again, a little lower down. He winced this time, and
muttered something I could not catch. '