The Englishman stared at the rifles with a countenance blank with dismay. They were weapons which he was entirely unacquainted with, and he felt that the safety of his principal demanded a remonstrance against their use.
"I object to the use of rifles," he said, at length, firmly and decidedly. "My friend is entirely unacquainted with these kind of weapons, and it would be madness on his part to go to the field with such odds against him."
I listened calmly, and with my mind unchanged. I knew that Fred's safety depended upon my selection, and inwardly vowed that if he had got to fight, he should settle the difficulty with his own weapons.
"This quarrel," I remarked, "is not of our seeking. A few words were spoken in jest by my friend, and as soon as spoken were forgotten; and it is probable that even now we should not remember the man we insulted. If my friend has got to fight, he shall be placed upon an equality with his adversary."
"But I do not call this equality," echoed the lieutenant, gazing with looks of dismay at the rifles.
"Neither do I feel disposed to risk my friend's life with swords, a weapon which he knows nothing of," I replied.
"Then perhaps we had better settle the matter satisfactorily without fighting," Mr. Merriam said.
"With all my heart," I cried, with alacrity. "I will meet you half way in any scheme of pacification."
"Then let your friend say that he is sorry for using the words, and send a note to that effect to my principal."