"Drake Tregellin,
"I have received your _cartel_. In my humble opinion nothing could be
more stupid and silly than the resort you propose. I suppose you
think your proposition very _grand_ and _chivalric_. It endangers the
continuance of our stay on the cape; it rebels against the rule we are
under here; and it would make our parents unhappy. Its spirit of
selfishness and indifference to everything but your own impulse is the
same which causes and continues our quarrelling. But I shall be a
fool with you this time. I have not the courage to balk your desire.
I agree to the contest, if you agree to keep the peace after that. I
suppose javelins and shields of wood are to be our weapons. What
nonsense! But I shall be at hand, Saturday, at the brig, when the
others have gone fishing.
"Alfred Higginson."
About an hour after we had got settled on Bass Rocks, and just as we
commenced catching fish, and I had a mighty fellow slashing my line
about and trying to snap the pole, we heard the voice of some one
calling to us in distress, and, turning, saw Juno hurrying towards us as
fast as her old limbs and breathless state would allow. She was
chattering all the while, but it was impossible for us to understand the
cause of her mission until she had come up to us and had taken a
moment's rest. Then, the tears springing from her eyes and terror in
her voice, she exclaimed: "De yun' gem'men--Massa Drake, Massa Alf'fed,
dey is fiteten and tarr'en one udder to pieces. Dey is down dare in de
ole ship and fire'en sticks and poke-en guns; an' oh Lord, I fear dey is
all dead now!" Her excitement could no longer be contained, but broke
forth in cries and ejaculations: "Oh! oh! oh! marssaful Hebbens! Oh de
Lord, please top de yun' gem'men! Massa Clare, Massa Capting, ar'n't
yous gwine? Ar'n't yous gwine afore dey is done dead? Dat dis ole
woman mus' see such tings!"
We also gleaned from her, that, hearing a noise at the wreck, as she was
passing near by, she had scrambled on board the vessel and there seen
the two boys engaged in a severe fight; that she had hurried off for
Clump, but could not find him; and that then she had run to where she
knew we were; but we had to hasten her broken narrative to get at the
whole matter, and then we all started for the wreck as fast as we could
run, fearful that a tragedy was to meet our sight--that we might be too
late to prevent it.
What a sight met our eyes as we hurried down the stairs to the brig's
schoolroom!
Chairs, desks, and tables had been pushed back against the sides to make
room for the duel, and there, in the so-formed arena, the atmosphere of
which was thick with disturbed dust, lay in common confusion a split
shield, two swords, a padded glove, a splintered lance, and a torn cap.
The weapons--the shield in particular--reflected skill upon Clump or
whatever carpenter had fashioned them. In some charge of one of the
combatants, the round table, although intended to be in a place of
safety, had been overturned, adding a globe, a streaming inkstand, and
sundry books to the medley on the floor.
But our astonishment culminated when we saw Drake leaning back in Mr
Clare's big chair in the farther end of the hold, his head bleeding, a
sleeve torn off, and an expression of comically blended fatigue and
dignified indifference in his face, while near the opposite side of the
schoolroom, and on one side of the stairway we had descended, was Alfred
Higginson lying on the floor, his head supported on an arm, his
countenance the picture of pain and mortification.
Evidently the battle was over. The parties spoke not a word; and the
first exclamation that came from us was Harry's: "Hillo! A real duel,
and no one killed."
Our good Captain, his face full of tenderness and anxiety, hurried to
Alf and lifted him up, but as he was so much hurt as to be only able to
hobble a few steps, Captain Mugford lifted him in his arms and carried
him on deck.
"What is all this, my poor fellow?" asked the Captain, as he got him on
a bench there.
"Rather a long story, Captain, but no one to blame but Drake and me. He
ain't much hurt, is he?"
"That is what I want to ask you, Alf. Where is your pain?"
"There, sir, in my side. It is only stiff and bruised, but don't touch
it hard, please. There! where your hand is. And I believe my hand is
somewhat cut."
As it proved on examination by the doctor from the village, whom I
brought over an hour afterwards, one of Alf's ribs was broken and the
palm of his left hand badly gashed.
Whilst the Captain and Harry Higginson had attended to Alfred, Mr Clare
and Walter took care of Drake. He was very laconic in his replies to
their questions, and made light of the injury; but he was faint from the
wound in the head, and his sleeveless arm was so stiff as to be useless
to him then.
Juno, who had found Clump, joined us before we reached the house with
our wounded comrades; but at the sight of Drake's bleeding head and
Alfred carried in the Captain's arms, Juno's ejaculations recommenced,
and Clump followed, only wringing his hands in mute despair.
Of the particulars of the fight we never knew further than I have
related. Both of the principals in the affair hated to have it alluded
to, and we spared their feelings.
When we had got them comfortably settled in their rooms, Mr Clare
called the remainder of us aside and enjoined upon us that we should not
question Drake and Alfred, nor mention the matter in their presence; and
that in the meantime he would decide with Captain Mugford what steps to
take when the boys had recovered.
In another week Drake was as well as ever, but hardly as noisy and
reckless as of old. Alfred remained an invalid for some time longer.
When both were perfectly recovered, Mr Clare called us all together in
the brig's schoolroom one afternoon, and then addressed us, particularly
the two combatants, in a manner that I can never forget--it was so
sensible, so manly, so solemn. He pointed out the faults of each, which
had fed the long quarrel and finally serious conclusion. He painted the
wickedness of that duel, (for it could be called nothing else), and all
such affairs, which in former times were ignorantly considered necessary
and honourable. He told us in what he thought true manliness, courage,
and _chivalry_ consisted. Then, in a simple, touching way, he suggested
higher thoughts--our duty to our Father in heaven as brothers of one
common family, and more than all of the example which our blessed Lord
and Master set us while He was on earth--to forgive injuries--to
overlook insults; and he spoke of charity as forbearance, and conquest
as governing ourselves; and then begged us to join him in earnest
entreaty to the Holy Spirit for the strength to practise that charity
and make those conquests, to the Source whence such virtues came, and to
the Ear which was never deaf to supplication. How simple and noble was
that whole address! And I cannot forbear testimony to the fruitfulness
of a Christian practice such as that of our then tutor, dear Mr Clare.
Even thoughtless boys could not sneer at the constant manly practice of
his life. We had to see that it gave the loftiest aims even to the
smallest acts of his everyday life--that where he spoke one word he
acted fifty in that service which ennobles the commonest deed. So that
religion, which youth often regards as something whining and
hypocritical, something only for the old and sick, we boys _began_ to
look up to as something which, if we could only _partly_ understand,
was, at the least, truly beautiful and noble.
The lesson and bearing of Mr Clare on that occasion was enforced by the
fact that as he concluded, Captain Mugford, rubbing the back of a rough
hand on his cheek for some reason, got up and crossed the room to Mr
Clare, whose hand he took in both his, and said--
"Mr Clare, I am but a rough, wicked old sailor, but the words you have
spoken to these boys have touched an older boy than they, and I thank
you--I thank you!"
The parents of both Drake and Alfred were duly informed, by both Mr
Clare and the boys themselves, of the affair.
From that time Drake and Alfred were changed boys. The old dominant
faults I have told of had now to _fight_ for sway and were generally
mastered, whilst the conduct of one to the other grew generous and
considerate, and the two boys became and ever afterward remained close
friends.