"I will load them myself."
"Colonel," asked the Prussian officers, "do you wish to see the pistols loaded?"
"Yes. I wish to do so. But how are we to arrange? Herr Kleist will only have one second."
"These two gentlemen may answer for Herr Kleist," said the major, "and I will go over to M. Turpin." And his wound being now bandaged, he went and sat down on the rock which gave its name to the glade.
Meanwhile the pistols were loaded, Colonel Anderson fulfilling his promise by putting in the balls himself. Benedict came up to him.
"Tell me," the Englishman asked gravely, "do you mean to kill him?"
"What do you expect? One can't exactly play with pistols as one can with swords or rapiers."
"Surely there is some way of disabling people with whom you have no serious quarrel without killing them outright?"
"I really cannot undertake to miss him just to oblige you! Think! He would naturally go and publish everywhere that I did not know how to shoot!"
"All right! I see I need not have spoken. I bet you have an idea of some sort."