26 FRIEND MEYER. DUELS. 



nature, and his unimpeachable sincerity and trustworthi- 

 ness. We chummed together at the School, lived and 

 studied together, had the same quarters then and 

 thenceforward, whenever circumstances allowed of 

 it. Our notorious friendship and the circumstance 

 that I revolted against the "tyranny of the ensigns", 

 which led to a duel with the senior of my room, 

 in which Meyer acted as my second, had the curious 

 result, that in almost all the duels which occurred in 

 the first year at the School. Meyer and I were chosen 

 as seconds of the opposing parties. 



These duels were only in a few instances followed 

 by dangerous consequences, had however so far a very 

 useful effect as they tended to preserve a polite tone 

 in social intercourse. 



Our year was the first in which the cadets were 

 admitted in limited numbers after a pretty stiff entrance 

 examination, and were then ordered to the School on 

 the completion of their year of service. Before that 

 no difference was made between the candidates for 

 commissions and others, and it was then often only 

 after the lapse of several years of service, which in 

 part had to be spent in barracks, that the ablest or 

 perhaps the best- recommended were ordered to the 

 School. The somewhat unpolished tone, which had 

 clung to the young fellows through prolonged inter- 

 course with unrefined comrades, was most effectively 

 and quickly corrected by means of the duels. 



My three years at the military school passed 

 without any important events. Although I suffered much 



