“One,” continued Dick, “is loaded. The other is not. You shall toss for choice. Then you shall stand at arm’s length, place the pistols against each other’s breast, and pull the triggers at the word. A moment later one of you will be a dead man, while the other will be unharmed. Does that suit you better, major?” “It’s unusual—decidedly unusual, suh! No, suh, it does not suit me at all, suh! I prefer the eggs.” “Good!” whispered Zenas. “So do I!” “Then take your positions, gentlemen,” ordered Dick. Aziz Achmet threw up his hands, shaking his head in a baffled manner. “Oh, these Americans, these Americans!” he muttered, retreating. “I had hoped they might destroy each other, which would save me further trouble with them. Now they are going to fight a duel with rotten eggs! Pah!” The surgeon hastily threw his instruments into the case, which he closed and picked up, also retreating to get out of probable danger of being hit by one of those eggs. The professor and the major got ready for action. Each picked up as many eggs as he could hold in his left hand and took one in his right. “Are you ready, gentlemen?” asked Dick, also backing off a little, an example followed by Brad. “Ready!” answered both. “Then—fire!” Whizz! Spat! The major missed, but the professor’s aim was accurate, and he struck Fitts fairly in the centre of his white shirt bosom. The man from Mississippi staggered and clapped his hand to his nose. “Oh, whew! Oh, murder!” he gasped. “That was not an egg! If it was it was laid two thousand years ago!” Whizz!—another one flew past the major’s ear. This aroused him, and he got into action once more. Eggs flew through the air with increasing rapidity. While stooping to get a fresh supply of ammunition from his basket, Zenas was struck fairly on top of his bald head. The yellow mass spattered in all directions. A strong odor filled the air, reaching the nostrils of both Dick and Brad, who were laughing heartily. “Great horn spoon!” gurgled the Texan. “For a duel this sure beats! Look at ’em, pard! The professor got it in the neck that time! There—he hit the major! They’ll be sights in a minute!” Dick was laughing in his old, rollicking way. “Oh, ha, ha, ha! Go it, professor! Soak him! That’s the way! Ha, ha, ha!” Never had that grim and gloomy cemetery resounded with such shouts of merriment. “Oh, I’ll fix him!” cried Zenas. “I’ll teach him a lesson! I’ll teach him to challenge me! I’ll—— Murder! I’m blinded!” In truth he had been struck fairly between the eyes, and the mass that spattered over his face completely blinded him. “Teach me, will yo’, suh?” triumphantly shouted the major. “Oh, I don’t know!” Dick was gasping for breath. “Brad, it’s t-too much!” he laughed, holding onto his sides. “Ha, ha, ha! It’s too much!” Professor Gunn wiped his sleeve across his eyes. Then he tried the other sleeve and succeeded in clearing them. “Have yo’ got enough, suh?” demanded the major. “Cry quits, suh, if yo’ have.”