Margaret had not seen her betrothed for three years, and now, oh, agony insupportable, to meet him thus!
So absorbed were the duelists in the business upon which they met, and so quietly had she and her escort stolen upon the scene, that the antagonists had perceived no addition to their party, but went on with their bloody purpose.
At the very entrance of the newcomers upon the scene, the second of Major Helmstedt gave the word:
“One—two—three—fire!” Frank Houston dropped the handkerchief, Ralph fired into the air, and Margaret, springing forward, struck up the pistol of her father, so that it was discharged harmlessly into the upper branches of an old tree.
All this transpired in a single instant of time, so suddenly and unexpectedly, that until it was over no one knew what had happened.
Then followed a scene of confusion difficult or impossible to describe.
Major Helmstedt was the first to speak. Shaking Margaret’s hand from his arm, he demanded, in a voice of concentrated rage:
“Miss Helmstedt, what is the meaning of this? How durst you come hither?”
Margaret, dropping upon her knees between the combatants and lifting up both arms, exclaimed:
“Oh, father! father! Oh, Ralph! Ralph! bury your bullets in this broken heart if you will, but do not point your weapons against each other!”