“I suppose,” I said, “that you believe me suffering from sconce swellus.”

“It must be an extraordinary disorder for a sailor,” she answered.

“Translated into nautical language, it means swelling of the frontal bone, producing an ecstatic degree of self-complacency in a hitherto irresponsible mind,” said I, “and it is more often found to exist among young persons, much younger even than I am. I wished to say that my exalted rank on the barque was not such as to produce the disease.”

“I see,” said Miss Allen, raising her eyebrows slightly.

“In that case, I’ll proceed to tell you that slaving is not my chosen vocation, and, if you are unfortunate enough to marry Mr. Curtis, and thus control the sinews of the enterprise, I would like to have the crew diminished by one or two hands, beginning with me.”

189“Did it ever occur to you that the captain might be the person to whom you should make the request,” she answered, smiling a little.

“It did occur to me that he might be the one, but, on considering his peculiar and hasty actions, it occurred later to me that he might not.”

“Well, if you intend to wait until the misfortune overtakes me that you suggest, I’m afraid there is little use of your sublime impudence.”

“If that is really true,” said I, without hardly knowing what I was saying, “I will be content to be slaver, or even pirate, for that matter. If you really don’t intend to--”

“That will do, sir! Be still!” she cried, now aroused. Then she arose from her chair, and, looking like an angry goddess, turned about to face Mr. Curtis, who had stepped out of the house, and who had evidently lost very little of the last part of our conversation.

“Good evening, Miss Allen,” said he. “When you get through talking to that sailor about your private affairs, we might take a little stroll before dark.”

“I hardly feel it necessary under the circumstances,” said the girl.

“You might later on,” said he. His voice was cold, but his eyes held smouldering fires that flashed ominously.

190“Is that a threat?” said she, haughtily, as steps sounded on the gravel walk around the corner of the house.

“No fear,” I snapped out without thinking, and, as I did so, Hicks and Captain Howard swung around the corner and were alongside.

The old pirate stopped and looked at me a moment. “What’s this fellow doing here?” he asked, noting my attitude, which was not of respect to Mr. Curtis.

“I don’t know,” said he; “but if you will kindly lend me your cutlass, I’ll see if he has blood in him.”

The old fellow instantly drew forth the hanger he always carried whenever going ashore, and passed the hilt to Mr. Curtis. Hicks stood near, smiling contemptuously.

The affair began to have a serious look. I could hardly run with honour, and Miss Allen would sooner have cut off her right hand than ask him to withhold the blade.

“Sir John,” she cried, turning to Hicks, “if that man is harmed, you will live to be sorry for it. Heywood,” she said, turning to me, “go about your business.”

“Not while he has that weapon in his hand,” said I, “but if he will lay it aside, and step down on the beach here--” Here he made a pass that would have given me a bad stab had not Hicks 191knocked the thrust aside with his heavy walking-stick, which he now held before him like a sword.

Like a flash, Curtis turned upon him. The cutlass rose and fell like rapid flashes of lightning in the gathering darkness, but each stroke found the thick cane in its path, and Hicks remained unhurt.

Howard burst into a loud guffaw. “Go it, bullies!” he cried. “Poke him in the ribs, Curtis! Whang him on the knuckles, Hicks! Stand to it! Stand to it! No flinching!”

Yankee Dan’s daughter stood upon the porch, her hands clenched, and her breast heaving with excitement. “Stop them! Oh, do stop them, Heywood,” she gasped.

“If he does, I’ll stuff his hide for a figurehead,” cried Howard, sitting down to fully enjoy the scene. “Any one who stops such pretty play, my dear child, will surely learn trouble. Look at that, an’ that!”

Curtis had forced his adversary backward into the road, and several persons came running to see the scuffle. One of these had recklessly tried to seize the cutlass, and had received a couple of good slashes with the blade. The fellow screamed with pain. I started forward, but was instantly ordered back by Captain Howard.

The slight diversion gave Hicks a chance to recover himself from the suddenness of the attack, 192and land a blow upon Curtis’s knuckles, which caused him to drop his weapon. Then, in spite of Howard’s threats and the struggles of the combatants, they were separated just as Yankee Dan and the main official of the town appeared at the door of the inn, followed by a crowd of servants and sightseers.

“It’s a shame your men interfere with such sport,” said Captain Howard. “It’s an outrage, sir.”

Yankee Dan had evidently settled for the repairs on the barque, and the officer’s good-will was not held so high as formerly.

“Are you addressing me, sir?” asked the officer.

“I am, sir, I am. It’s a d----d outrage the way you allow these rogues to interfere with gentlemen. You owe me an apology for spoiling that sport.”

“You’ll get something entirely different if you entertain any such peculiar ideas regarding sport,” said the official.

“Tut, tut, stow the row!” said Yankee Dan. “Come inside, Rose,” he continued to his daughter, and she followed him out of sight.
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