The exercise was tremendous, of course, and in time the fighters began to show great fatigue.

They were allowed to rest a moment, every little while; they got other rests by wounding each other, for then they could sit down while the doctor applied the lint and bandages.

The law is that the battle must continue fifteen minutes if the men can hold out; and as the pauses do not count, this duel was protracted to twenty or thirty minutes, I judged.

At last it was decided that the men were too much wearied to do battle longer.

They were led away drenched with crimson from head to foot.