Marline's words produced a sensation. Of all who heard them, Frank Merriwell seemed the least startled or surprised. Danny Griswold near fell off the fence. All the boys looked at each other, and then stared at the boy from South Carolina, as if seeking to discover if he could be in earnest. He was in deadly earnest; there could be no doubt of it. His face was pale, and his eyes gleamed. The fighting blood of the Marlines was aroused. Then the other lads of the group remembered the record made by the Marlines, the famous fighters of South Carolina. They remembered that Rob Marline's ancestors were duelists before him, and every one of them on record had killed his man! With such an example in his own family, and with certain notions of the proper course for a man to defend his honor, it was certain Marline meant business when he named swords as the weapons. But such a meeting could not take place. It was unlawful. Besides that, dueling was not popular in the North, and it was not believed that a man showed cowardice if he refused to consider the challenge of an enemy. What would Merriwell do? He could not accept Marline's proposal, and still it would not be easy for him to back down, after demanding satisfaction. He was in a trying position, and the boys wondered how he would get out of it. "Mr. Marline," said Frank, and his voice was perfectly calm and cool, "you must be aware that such a thing as you propose is utterly impossible." "I am not aware of anything of the sort, sah." "Then I will tell you so now." "That means you are afraid--you dare not meet me face to face and man to man! You show the white feather!" "It means nothing of the sort." "You can't get out of it, sah." "I am a Northerner, and I do not believe in personal encounters with deadly weapons, after the rules of the code duello." "A Northerner!" flung back Marline, with a curl of his lips and a proud toss of his head. "Well, I am a Southerner, and we do believe in the code duello. It is the only way for a man to satisfy his honor." "It is evident that is a point on which we cannot agree." "Then, you are going to back down--you will play the coward?" "You are making your language very strong and offensive. Will you be good enough to remember you are on crutches, which makes it impossible for me to strike you now?" "No man ever struck a Marline without spilling his blood for the blow! It is a good thing for you, sah, that I am on crutches." "If you were not crippled, you could not use the language you have within the past few moments, without getting my fist between the eyes." Marline sucked in his breath with a hissing sound through his teeth. "Never mind my condition, sah--hit me! Nothing would give me greater satisfaction, sah!" "It is impossible. You will not be crippled long." "I shall recover as swiftly as possible. You may be sure of that, sah!" "There will be time enough to settle this little affair between us then."