And now, although the wound was not dangerous, von Bülow did not refuse to have it dressed. The surgeon promptly ripped up his sleeve, disclosing a wound, not very deep, but terrible to look at, which extended down the arm from the shoulder to the elbow. And one shuddered to think what such a wound would have been, had the swordsman struck with all his force instead of simply drawing his blade along the arm. The surgeon dipped a cloth in the ice-cold spring which rose at the foot of the rock and wrapped it round the arm. He then drew the sides of the wound together and strapped them with plaster. He assured the major that he would be quite able to continue his journey to Frankfort in the evening. Benedict offered his carriage to the major, who, however, declined, being curious to see what would happen to his successor. He excused himself on the score that courtesy required him to wait for Herr Georges Kleist. Although Herr Kleist, having had time to see what sort of adversary he had to deal with, would willingly have been some leagues away, he put a brave face on the matter, and although he grew perceptibly pale during the first duel, and still paler when the wound was dressed, he was, nevertheless, the first to say. "Excuse my interrupting you, gentlemen, but it is my turn now." "I am quite at your service, sir," said Benedict. "You are not properly dressed for a duel with pistols," interposed Colonel Anderson, glancing at Benedict's costume. "Really," said Benedict, "I never thought about what clothes I was to fight in. I only wanted to do it with comfort to myself. That's all!" "You can at least put on your tunic and button it!" "Bah! It is much too hot." "Perhaps we ought to have taken the pistols first. All this sword-play may have unsteadied your hand." "My hand is my servant, dear colonel; it knows it has to obey me and you will see it does so." "Do you wish to see the pistols you are to use?" "You have seen them, have you not? Are they double barrelled or single?" "Single barrelled duelling pistols. They were hired this morning from a gunsmith in the Grande Place." "Then call my other second and see them properly loaded. Mind the shot is inside the barrels, and not dropped outside." "I will load them myself." "Colonel," asked the Prussian officers, "do you wish to see the pistols loaded?" "Yes. I wish to do so. But how are we to arrange? Herr Kleist will only have one second." "These two gentlemen may answer for Herr Kleist," said the major, "and I will go over to M. Turpin." And his wound being now bandaged, he went and sat down on the rock which gave its name to the glade. Meanwhile the pistols were loaded, Colonel Anderson fulfilling his promise by putting in the balls himself. Benedict came up to him. "Tell me," the Englishman asked gravely, "do you mean to kill him?" "What do you expect? One can't exactly play with pistols as one can with swords or rapiers."