Heppner nodded. "Yes, yes." What had the silly fellow got in his head? Of course he had kissed the woman; and he meant to do it again, and again too.
"And so you have got to fight it out with me," continued the other. "Man against man. Are you agreed?"
Again the sergeant-major nodded stolidly. Why not? Their betters acted thus.
"Shall we settle the thing now at once?"
Heppner nodded for the third time. It was all one to him, so long as he could get to rest at last.
Heimert took up the two revolvers in one of his big hands; with the other he pointed over his shoulder out of the window.
"We'll go up there," he said. "There's plenty of room there. And we'll take our own two revolvers with us. Look here! I will load them, each with one cartridge."
Under Heppner's eyes he placed the cartridges in the chambers of the revolvers, the shining brass gleaming beside the dull steel. He gripped the pistols by the barrel, and held out the butt-ends to the sergeant-major.
"Now choose," he said.
Heppner languidly took with his right hand the revolver which the other was holding in his left. Heimert held the remaining pistol in the lamp light, and read off the number.