battle; three or more respond—­but there must not be less than three; the president lays their names before the other presidents, with the request that they furnish antagonists for these challengers from among their corps.  This is promptly done.  It chanced that the present occasion was the battle-day of the Red Cap Corps.  They were the challengers, and certain caps of other colors had volunteered to meet them.  The students fight duels in the room which I have described, two days in every week during seven and A half or eight months in every year.  This custom had continued in Germany two hundred and fifty years.

To return to my narrative.  A student in a white cap met us and introduced us to six or eight friends of his who also wore white caps, and while we stood conversing, two strange-looking figures were led in from another room.  They were students panoplied for the duel.  They were bareheaded; their eyes were protected by iron goggles which projected an inch or more, the leather straps of which bound their ears flat against their heads were wound around and around with thick wrappings which a sword could not cut through; from chin to ankle they were padded thoroughly against injury; their arms were bandaged and rebandaged, layer upon layer, until they looked like solid black logs.  These weird apparitions had been handsome youths, clad in fashionable attire, fifteen minutes before, but now they did not resemble any beings one ever sees unless in nightmares.  They strode along, with their arms projecting straight out from their bodies; they did not hold them out themselves, but fellow-students walked beside them and gave the needed support.

There was a rush for the vacant end of the room, now, and we followed and got good places.  The combatants were placed face to face, each with several members of his own corps about him to assist; two seconds, well padded, and with swords in their hands, took their stations; a student belonging to neither of the opposing corps placed himself in a good position to umpire the combat; another student stood by with a watch and a memorandum-book to keep record of the time and the number and nature of the wounds; a gray-haired surgeon was present with his lint, his bandages, and his instruments.  After a moment’s pause the duelists saluted the umpire respectfully, then one after another the several officials stepped forward, gracefully removed their caps and saluted him also, and returned to their places.  Everything was ready now; students stood crowded together in the foreground, and others stood behind them on chairs and tables.  Every face was turned toward the center of attraction.