Thinking that there was no harm in doing so, he had at
once accepted the offer. Upon being asked if he could recognize the
officer if he saw him, he replied that he had scarcely noticed his
face, and did not think that he could pick him out from others.
The first three or four duels which took place had not been
attended with fatal result; but about three weeks after the
occurrence of the attack on Rupert, Captain Muller, who had been
away on leave, returned, and publicly announced his intention of
avenging the insult to his regiment by insulting and killing one of
the officers of the 5th dragoons.
The report of the threat caused some uneasiness among the officers,
for the fellow's reputation as a swordsman and notorious duellist
was so well known, that it was felt that any one whom he might
select as his antagonist would be as good as a dead man. A
proposition was started to report the matter to the general, but
this was decisively negatived, as it would have looked like a
request for protection, and would so affect the honour of the
regiment.
There was the satisfaction that but one victim could be slain, for
the aggressor in a fatal duel was sure to be punished by removal
into some corps stationed at a distance.
Rupert was silent during these discussions, but he silently
determined that he would, if the opportunity offered, take up the
gauntlet, for he argued that he was the primary cause of the feud;
and remembering the words of Monsieur Dessin and Maitre Dalboy, he
thought that, skillful a swordsman as Muller might be, he would yet
have at least a fair chance of victory, while he knew that so much
could not be said for any of the other officers of his regiment.
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