"Mr. Marline," he said, his voice calm and modulated, "will you be kind enough to name your friend?" Marline looked around. Sport Harris was at his side in a moment. "I'll serve you!" Sport eagerly whispered. Marline felt that almost any one was preferable to Harris, but he saw the others had drawn away. Harris seemed to be the only one with nerve enough to stand by him. He felt forced to accept Sport. "Mr. Harris is my man," he said. Frank bowed gracefully. "Mr. Diamond will wait on him." A gleam of exultation came into Marline's face, for he felt that he had driven Merriwell to the wall at last. Frank and Jack immediately withdrew from Morey's, and, later, the Virginian sought Harris in his room. Frank awaited Diamond's return. He came back in about an hour "To-morrow, at sunrise," he said. CHAPTER XLV. THE DUEL. "Are you ready, gentlemen?" The sun was just peeping over the horizon. Beyond the city limits, near a strip of timber far down the Sound, five persons had met. Two of them were Frank Merriwell and Robert Marline, who were to fight a deadly duel there that beautiful morning. Two more were their seconds, Jack Diamond and Sport Harris. The fifth was a young collegian named Morton, who was studying medicine and surgery. He had brought along a case of instruments, although he was not certain this was to be a duel in deadly earnest. Merriwell and Marline, despite the fact that the morning air was keen and cold, had stripped off their coats and vests and were in their shirt sleeves. Now they stood facing each other, weapons in hand. Frank's face was calm and confident, as if he had not the least doubt concerning the outcome of the affair. His nerves were under admirable control. He was a trifle paler than usual. Marline, on the other hand, was flushed and nervous. He had taken several drinks of whiskey to brace him, and Merriwell's calm confidence was something he could not understand. At that moment, Frank seemed like the duelist and Marline like the novice. The sun shot a single lance of light across the world, and then Diamond, who had been chosen to give the signal, spoke the word that set the rivals at each other. Clash! clash! clash! The bright blades clanged sharply on the morning air. The sunshine glittered coldly on their polished lengths. At first the work was of a very scientific order, for each man seemed feeling of the other to discover just how much skill he possessed. Marline was more than ever astonished, for he had scarcely fancied Frank could be an expert with such a weapon. Now, however, he saw by the manner in which Frank handled himself, by his every move, that he was a skillful swordsman. The boy from the South attempted to force the fighting. The whiskey went to his head, and he fought savagely, his teeth set and his eyes gleaming. Deadly determination was in his every move. The seconds and the surgeon watched breathlessly.