"He is hit!" cried Venables, running between us.
"You are now satisfied, Mr. Cludde?"
"If Mr. Bold will apologize," says Simpson, after a glance at his
principal.
"I am ready when Mr. Cludde is," I said bluntly.
Certainly I would not apologize; besides, I was annoyed to think
that, through my own forbearance, the fellow had drawn blood
(though 'twas but a scratch). And so we set-to again.
This time I no longer pursued the same purely defensive tactics,
and before many passes had been exchanged I saw an opening for my
botte, took instant advantage of it, and sent his sword spinning
from his hand. Cludde was too good a swordsman to be ignorant that
I had purposely spared him, and I saw by the look in his eyes that
he knew it and would fight no more.
"Mr. Cludde is now satisfied, I presume?" said Venables, at a look
from me.
The contest was of course over. At that moment I own I felt tempted
to take Cludde's crown piece from the string whereon it hung about
my neck, and return it to him; but as a second thought showed me
that to do so would be in a manner to heap humiliation on a beaten
enemy, I forbore, conscious at the same time of an inward assurance
that I should yet find a fitting time for that act of restoration.
The duel was much talked of among the officers of the fleet, and
when Captain Vincent heard of it he, as I have said, took me to his
heart. By it I was sealed of the tribe of Benbow, and became, in my
worthy captain's eyes, one of the elect.
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