'
'Willingly,' said the student with a dry laugh, in which some of the
bystanders joined, while all looked curiously at the man who seemed so
absolutely sure of success. Greif's face was grave, however, and he
himself selected the rapier for Rex's hand. All was ready and the
adversaries stood up in their places. Bauer the Rhine Korps man, was an
ugly sight. The eye-pieces gave a singularly sinister expression to his
sallow face, and his disorderly hair looked like a wig of twisted black
wire, while the jerkin he wore seemed almost dropping from his long,
sinewy frame. He made his sharp weapon whistle three or four times in
the air and tapped his foot impatiently upon the marble floor as though
anxious to begin. Greif's heart beat quickly, and he was conscious that
he would infinitely rather fight the duel himself.
The umpire began by declaring that the duel was between Herr Bauer of
the Rhine Korps and Herr Rex, who fought with Swabian weapons.
'Formerly of the Heidelberg Saxo-Prussians,' said Rex quietly.
Every one started and looked at him, on hearing the name of the most
renowned Korps in Germany.
'With a charge?' inquired the umpire, politely, and holding his pencil
ready to enter the fact upon his note-book.
'First,' answered Rex laconically.
The students looked at each other and began to wonder how it was
possible that such an important personage as a former chief of the
Heidelberg Saxo-Prussians could have so long concealed his identity.
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