"All's ready," cried the seconds, returning to them. Of course they knew very little, if anything, of the executive of such meetings, but were doing things according to their best judgment. "We are putting you sideways to the sun, or else one of you must have had it right in his face," said the earl. "Do we keep our hats on?" asked Gall. Now here was a poser. Nobody could answer the question, or say what the custom was. Talbot thought they should be on, Leek thought they should be off. While the duellists stood in indecision, the young surgeon settled it. "Keep them on," said he. "What does custom signify one way or the other?" "You must shake hands," said Onions. But he had no sooner spoken than Lord Shrewsbury whispered to him that it was prize-fighters who shook hands, not duellists. However the thing was done; and, as Mr. Brown remarked by the other doubt, it could not matter. They were placed facing each other, twenty paces between them, and a pistol handed to each. Ah, how little Bertie Loftus, when he bought those pistols in his pride a year ago, dreamt of the grief they would bring him to! Both of them, Gall and Loftus, were now as white as chalk. The surgeon stood on the side with a rueful face and compressed lips; Brown major removed himself to a safe distance: with those inexperienced shooters there was no knowing what direction the bullets might take; and the seconds as yet were standing close, each behind his man. "Present!" said Leek, in so low a tone that the doctor did not hear it. Onions might be nervous. "Fire!" came the next word, after a moment's pause; and that was called out loud enough. "Not yet! not yet!" shouted Robert Brown in an agony, for the two inexperienced seconds had not removed themselves from the place of danger. "Come away first for the love of heaven!" He spoke too late. The combatants had fired, each his pistol; the reports crashing out loud enough in the morning air. There ensued some momentary confusion, and Robert Brown's eyes were, so to say, dazzled by anxiety and fear. When his sight came to him, he saw that the rash seconds were uninjured; but the duellists had both fallen, and were lying on the ground, their white faces turned up to the full blaze of the August sun. CHAPTER XVII. Mr. Leek in Convulsions. Yes: both the duellists had fallen, and lay on their backs, their white faces upwards, and the pistols beside them. The seconds were standing over them with long chins of horror, and the surgeon came striding up. Gall was nearest to him, and he halted there first.