Rupert’s face was unchanged since the swords had crossed.  His mouth was set, but in a half smile; his eye was bright; and his demeanour rather that of a lad fencing with buttoned foils than that of one contending for his life against a formidable foe.

Now thoroughly aware of his opponent’s strength and tactics, Rupert began to press the attack, and foot by foot drove his opponent back to the spot at which the combat had commenced.  Then, after a fierce rally, he gave an opening; the German lunged, Rupert threw back his body with the rapidity of lightning, lunging also as he did so.  His opponent’s sword grazed his cheek as it passed, while his own ran through the German’s body until the hilt struck it.  Muller fell without a word, an inert mass; and the surgeon running up, pronounced that life was already extinct.

The crowd of spectators now flocked down, the English with difficulty repressing their exclamations of delight, and congratulated Rupert on the result, which to them appeared almost miraculous; while the senior German officer present came up to him, and said: 

“Although Captain Muller was a countryman of mine, sir, I rejoice in the unexpected result of this duel.  It has rid our army of a man who was a scourge to it.”

Plasters and bandages were now applied to Rupert’s wounds; and in a few minutes the whole party had left the valley, one German orderly alone remaining to watch the body of the dead duellist until a party could be sent out to convey it to the town for burial.

Chapter 10:  The Battle Of The Dykes.

For some time after his duel with Captain Muller, it is probable that the little cornet was, after Marlborough himself, the most popular man in the British army in Flanders.  He, however, bore his honours quietly, shrinking from notice, and seldom going down into the town.  Any mention of the duel was painful to him; for although he considered that he was perfectly justified in taking up the quarrel forced upon his regiment, yet he sincerely regretted that he should have been obliged to kill a man, however dangerous and obnoxious, in cold blood.

Two days after the duel he received a letter from his grandfather.  It was only the second he had received.  In the previous letter Colonel Holliday alluded to something which he had said in a prior communication, and Rupert had written back to say that no such letter had come to hand.  The answer ran as follows: 

“My dear Grandson—­Your letter has duly come to hand.  I regret to find that my first to you miscarried, and by comparing dates I think that it must have been lost in the wreck of the brig Flora, which was lost in a tempest on her way to Holland a few days after I wrote.  This being so, you are ignorant of the changes which have taken place here, and which affect yourself in no slight degree.