The strange ceremonial upon the raft,--hitherto carried on with some
show of solemnity,--had reached an unexpected crisis.
A second appeal to the goddess of Fortune was no longer thought of. The
deadly antagonism of the two chief castaways--Le Gros and O'Gorman--
promised a result likely to supply the larder of that cannibal crew,
without the necessity of their having recourse to her decrees.
One or other,--perhaps both,--of these men must soon cease to live; for
the determined attitude of each told, beyond mistaking, that his bared
blade would not be again sheathed, except in the flesh of his adversary.
There was no attempt at intervention. Not one of their comrades
interposed to keep them apart. There was friendly feeling,--or, to use
a more appropriate phrase, partisanship,--on the side of each; but it
was of that character which usually exists among the brutal backers of
two "champions of the ring."
Under other circumstances, each party might have regretted the defeat of
the champion they had adopted; but upon that raft, the death of one or
other of the combatants was not only desirable; but, rather than it
should not occur, either side would have most gladly assented to see its
especial favourite the victim.
Every man of that ruffian crew had a selfish interest in the result of
the threatened conflict; and this far outweighed any feeling of
partisanship with which he might have been inspired. A few may have
felt friendlier than others towards their respective champions; but to
the majority it mattered little which of the two men should die; and
there were even some who, in the secret chambers of their hearts, would
have reflected gleefully to behold both become victims of their
reciprocal hostility. Such a result would cause a still further
postponement of that unpopular lottery,--in which they had been too
often compelled to take shares.
There was no very great difference in the number of the "friends" on
either side. The partisans of the Frenchman would have far outnumbered
those of his Irish adversary, but ten minutes before. But the behaviour
of Le Gros in the lottery had lost him many adherents. That he had
played the trick imputed to him was by most believed; and as the result
of his unmanly subterfuge was of personal interest to all, there were
many, hitherto indifferent, now inspired with hostility towards him.
Apart from personal considerations,--even amongst that conglomeration of
outcasts,--there were some in whom the instinct of "fair-play" was not
altogether dead; and the foul play of the Frenchman had freshly aroused
this instinct within them.
As soon as the combatants had shown a fixed determination to engage in
deadly strife, the crowd upon the raft became separated, as if by
mechanical action, into two groups,--one forming in the rear of Le Gros,
the other taking stand behind the Irishman.
As already stated, there was no great inequality between them in point
of numbers; and as each occupied an end of the raft, the balance was
preserved, and the stage upon which the death drama was about to be
enacted--set horizontally--offered no advantage to either.
Knives were to be their weapons. There were others on the raft. There
were axes, cutlasses, and harpoons; but the use of these was prohibited
to either of the intended combatants: as nothing could be fairer than
the sailor's knife,--with which each was provided,--and no weapon in
close combat could be used with more certain or deadlier effect.
Each armed with his own knife, released from its lanyard fastenings in
order to be freely handled,--each with his foot planted in front of him,
to guard against the onset of his adversary,--each with an arm upraised,
at the end of which appeared six inches of sharp, glittering steel,--
each with muscles braced to their toughest tension, and eyes glaring
forth the fires of a mutual hatred,--a hostility to end only in death,--
such became the attitude of the antagonists.
Behind each stood their respective partisans, in a sort of semicircle,
of which the champion was in the centre,--all eagerly intent on watching
the movements of the two men, one of whom--perhaps both--was about to be
hurried into eternity.
It was a setting sun that was to afford light for this fearful conflict.
Already was the golden orb declining low upon the western horizon. His
disc was of a lurid red,--a colour appropriate to the spectacle it was
to illumine. No wonder that both combatants instinctively turned their
eyes towards the west, and gazed upon the god of day. Both were under
the belief they might never more look upon that luminary!