ps.
This singular feat on the part of the young officer, when opposed to so
skilled a duellist as Captain M--l, has created a profound sensation
throughout the garrison.'

"Well, Master W--t, what have you to say to that?"

"I don't know that I have anything to say to it, Colonel," Frank
replied, "except that it is a great nuisance that such a thing should be
talked about. I suppose I have a good eye and a steady hand. I have
practised steadily every day since I joined, and have got to shoot
pretty straight. The man was a notorious bully, and if the young fellow
he had insulted had gone out with him, it would have been nothing short
of murder; and yet if he had not gone out with him I believe he would
have shot himself, rather than suffer the disgrace of putting up with an
insult. So as I felt pretty certain that I could disable Marshall
without having to do him any serious injury, I took it up and hit him in
the hand as I intended to."

"Well, Downes," Colonel Chambers said, "it seems to me that these two
brothers are born to get into adventures and to get well out of them.
However, Frank, although you have acted very creditably, and must
certainly be a wonderful shot with a pistol, don't do this sort of thing
too often."

"I am not going to, sir. I hope that I shall never fight a duel again,
and I didn't practise for that, but to be able to use my pistols on
service."

Three days later Frank said good-bye to his aunt and friends, and
returned to Canterbury, travelling this time by coach, as no craft
happened to be sailing for Dover.

CHAPTER X

SMOLENSK

Julian's regiment arrived at Konigsberg early in March, and found that
it was to form part of Ney's division. The whole country round had been
turned into an enormous camp, and every town was the centre round which
a great array of tents was clustered. The troops were of many
nationalities--French, Poles, Bavarians, Saxons, Prussians, Austrians,
and even Spanish. Never since the hordes of Attila swept over Europe had
so vast an army been gathered. The total force collected for the
invasion of Russia amounted to 651,358 men, of whom some 520,000 were
infantry, 100,000 cavalry, and the remainder artillery and engineers.
They had with them 1372 guns.

April passed without any movement. The troops became impatient, and even
the veterans, whose confidence in Napoleon was implicit, shook their
heads.

"We ought to be across the frontier before this,"