O fortunate young savage, after such a victory, and with that noble blue cloth cloak for trophy and covering, what fame and happiness will be yours! A change swift as lightning had come over me, a sudden exultation.

I was wounded, but my right hand was sound and clutched a knife as good as his, and we were on an equality.

I waited for him calmly.

All weakness, grief, despair had vanished, all feelings except a terrible raging desire to spill his accursed blood; and my brain was clear and my nerves like steel, and I remembered with something like laughter our old amusing encounters with rapiers of wood.

Ah, that was only making believe and childish play; this was reality.