A Fight to a Finish
Alwyn thought he had got off lightly, but he was mistaken, for
without warning Black Strogoff struck him violently in the face with
his clenched fist. Luckily the British officer saw the blow coming
and moved his head smartly aside. Thus the blow, which was intended
for his nose, glanced from his cheek.
Strogoff had hoped to rouse Burgoyne into a state of fury, and thus
find an excuse for using his automatic. He would not have dared to
strike the unarmed Englishman but for the fact that there were twenty
or more pirates with him.
With a tremendous effort Burgoyne kept himself under control. He had
not only himself to consider but his three comrades. In fact, Jasper
Minalto was on the point of taking up the cudgels on his officer's
behalf, when Alwyn stopped him.
"Afraid, eh?" remarked Strogoff scornfully.
"Not in the least," replied Burgoyne in even tones that surprised
himself. "If you would like a set-to, a fight with fists, I'll be
happy to oblige you, or anyone else you care to mention."
"Fists, eh? Barbarian sport," sneered Black Strogoff. Then, swayed by
a sudden inspiration, he shouted to one of the onlookers, a huge,
hulking Peruvian.
"Ver' well," he continued. "We will have sport."
"And what happens when I knock out the man?" inquired Burgoyne.
Black Strogoff roared with laughter.
"There is no need to ask that," he replied. "He will not be the one
who will be conquered. Are you ready to try?"
"I'd prefer to deal with _you_," declared Burgoyne pointedly.
The pirate lieutenant ignored the suggestion, and, beckoning to the
Peruvian to approach, he gave directions to which the latter replied
by grinning broadly.
Meanwhile Ramon Porfirio and his henchman Henriques had appeared upon
the scene. To them Black Strogoff explained the situation. It rather
appealed to them to see a lightly-built Englishman pitted against a
seventeen-stone pirate. They, too, had no doubt as to the result, and
the contest would amuse the crowd of ruffians. Some of the latter had
evidently had some experience of boxing contests in American and
British ports, for with the utmost celerity--a marked contrast to
their languid movements in their leisure time--they drove in four
stout posts and stretched the ropes enclosing the ring.
A more inappropriate spot could hardly be found. The ring was staked
out on slightly shelving ground in the full glare of the mid-day sun.
Crowding up to the posts was a steadily increasing swarm of pirates,
those living on the island being augmented by the majority of the
crew of the _Malfilio_. Three hundred yards away the prisoners
working the crane ceased operations to watch the spectacle of one of
their officers pitted against the huge Peruvian.
Burgoyne was still in his shirt sleeves. He did not attempt to
emulate the example of his opponent, who had stripped to the waist,
revealing a powerfully-built frame, huge muscles, and a decided
excess of fatness. The rest of his garb consisted of a pair of blue
canvas trousers, with an orange scarf round the waist, and a pair of
leather sea-boots.
"I wish I were in your place, sir," whispered Minalto, who had been
chosen to act as Alwyn's second. "I'd just love tu dust that chap.
He's heavy on his pins tu be sure. Keep him on the move, sir, until
he tires like, an' then go for his heart."
Burgoyne nodded. He was of the same opinion himself as to the
tactical programme. He realized that once the Peruvian got in a
direct blow he would be whirled over the ropes like a feather.
"Two minute rounds, I suppose," inquired Alwyn.
"Certainly not," replied Black Strogoff. "A fight to a finish. Why
end the fight in two minutes?"
Burgoyne explained the nature of the word "rounds", which was a
stranger to the pirate lieutenant's otherwise expansive knowledge of
English. But Strogoff was obdurate. To his mind the act of stopping
two combatants in the heat of the fight was simply absurd.
Briskly vaulting over the ropes, Alwyn watched his opponent climb
into the ring. There was no signal to commence. Like a charging bull
the Peruvian rushed straight at the clean-limbed Englishman.
With a lithe, natural movement Burgoyne cleared his corner, ducked
under the flail-like arm of his opponent, and, seizing the
opportunity, he did what he had not intended to do at that stage of
the proceedings. Before the Peruvian could turn, Burgoyne's right
fist shot out and dealt the pirate a stinging blow on the left side.
It might have punished an ordinary man, but in this case it merely
warned the pirate to be cautious in his movements. The blundering
rush was succeeded by a slower yet ponderous attack, before which
Burgoyne retreated, taking care to keep well away from the ropes.
Once during the next minute did Alwyn essay to strike under the arms
of his antagonist.
He certainly got home, but in return received a mighty swing of the
Peruvian's left that, glancing from his shoulder, gave Burgoyne such
a clout on the head that for a few seconds everything seemed to be
whirling round and round. Yet he had the sense to evade the following
rush, until through sheer breathlessness the pirate brought up in the
centre of the ring.
The brief respite cleared the mist from Burgoyne's eyes. In wind he
was comparatively fresh. If he could only succeed in playing with the
huge pirate for another minute, and avoid another heavy blow, he
might be able to take the offensive.
The latter, goaded by the action and encouraged by the shouts of his
comrades, lurched across the ring, delivering blow after blow, all of
which Alwyn avoided with comparative ease. And thus, with no hit
recorded, the third minute passed.
By this time the temper of the onlookers changed. They were there to
see a close fight with plenty of blood flowing. The spectacle of a
big man blindly chasing a smaller and agile one round and round the
ring did not appeal to them. They yelled to the Peruvian to get to
business and pulverize the Englishman.
With a loud yell the South American made another frantic rush. Even
as he waited Burgoyne could not help feeling amused. The shout was so
typical of the half-breeds, and so utterly foreign to the British
boxing-ring. If it were meant to strike terror into Burgoyne's heart
the Peruvian never made a greater mistake.
Anticipating a repetition of his opponent's former tactics the
half-caste guarded his left side. Quick as lightning Burgoyne slipped
under his extended right arm; but even as he did so the Peruvian
hacked with his leather-booted leg.
Unable to check his rush Alwyn measured his length and more upon the
turf. Before he could regain his feet the half-caste was upon him,
dealing windmill-like blows upon his head and shoulders, while the
crowd of pirates yelled with enthusiasm. The protesting voices of
Jasper Minalto and his companions were drowned in the torrent of
applause. Not content with using his fists, the Peruvian was again
bringing his heavy boots into play.
Regardless of the consequences, Minalto was in the act of leaping
over the rope when he stopped in sheer wonderment, for the white and
almost motionless, prostrate figure had sprung into activity.
It was the Peruvian's cowardly performance with his boots that gave
Burgoyne his chance. In his blind fury the half-caste slipped. Before
he could recover his balance Alwyn was up and striking hard. The
Peruvian's enormous hand was gripping his neck, but Burgoyne was
jabbing lightning-like punches right over the fellow's heart. Like
the rattle of a pneumatic hammer the Englishman's right fist
pummelled his opponent's ribs, until the half-caste's clutch relaxed.
Breaking away, Burgoyne summoned his remaining energies and delivered
a terrific straight left full on the point of the pirate's jaw. The
force of the blow lifted the huge bulk completely off the ground.
Staggering and already unconscious, he toppled backward over the
ropes into the midst of the crowd of spectators.
Jasper Minalto was just in time to catch Alwyn in his arms. Without
any attempt being made to stop him the Scilly Islander carried off
the insensible victor to the compound, and placed him in his hut.
Three hours later Burgoyne recovered consciousness. His head and face
had come off comparatively lightly, but his ribs were black and blue,
his left shoulder was laid open almost to the bone, while his shins
were raw through violent contact with the Peruvian's boots.
Burgoyne was alone. The working day had not yet ended. Someone had
patched him up. Cautious investigation on his part resulted in the
knowledge that none of his limbs was broken, because they were not in
splints, but he ached in every limb, and his tongue, hot and parched,
seemed too big for his mouth.
"I'm a downright ass," he soliloquized. "Instead of pretending to
knuckle under and take advantage of what I've seen, I've got myself
laid out. _Cui bono?_ Dashed if I know!"
But the fight, purposeless as it appeared to Burgoyne, had its good
results. The Peruvian had not only been knocked out, but his eyesight
was permanently impaired. That in itself was nothing to gloat over.
When, later on, Alwyn did learn of the extent of the damage he had
inflicted he felt sorry for the man. It was not his quarrel. He had
been practically ordered to fight on Black Strogoff's behalf, and
although he was a bad sportsman, judged by British ideas, he had been
well punished by being knocked out.
But the matter did not end there. The luckless Peruvian had been by
far and away the best gun-layer of the _Malfilio's_ complement. He
was now useless and could not be replaced by an equally competent
man, and consequently Ramon Porfirio was in a towering rage with
Black Strogoff for having been the means of depriving him of a most
useful man. Henriques sided with his chief. For some time past no
love had been lost between the two pirate lieutenants, and now the
rift threatened to develop into an impassable abyss.