They soon came to an agreement.

The extreme retiring distance was fixed at five-and-forty paces, the barriers at five-and-twenty.
During this negociation, Abellino produced a pair of good flint-locked Schneller pistols, and exhibited his skill before the company.

He ordered his lackey to throw linden leaves up into the air in front of him, and riddled them with bullets three times running.

This he did simply to fill the adversary with terror.

Michael, fathoming his object, whispered confidentially in the young artisan's ear-- "We are not going to fire with those pistols, but with ours, which are quite new, and it will not be so easy to show off with them." Alexander smiled bitterly.