Page:Lady Barbarity; a romance (IA ladybarbarityrom00snai).pdf/276

 *ing at the Captain with the ardour of a lion. His enemy was wary though, and prepared in every particular for this onslaught. Armed with his crutch he received the charge full upon that weapon, with farther disastrous consequences to the youth, who straightway met the carpet for the second time. 'Twas then that I did intervene. I ran between these combatants, and dared them on pain of unutterable penalties to exchange another blow.

"Confound you, Bab!" exclaimed the bleeding and breathless rebel. "Confound you for a Spoilsport! Why don't you let me pound your gentle husband to a jelly!"

"What, pound my gentle husband?" says I, "a pretty wife I'd be, I'm thinking."

For an instant this way of looking at the matter administered a check to his impetuosity, and by its aid I took occasion to beseech:

"My lad, if you care for your life at all, go while the door is open to you. Another blow will close it; aye, perhaps another word. Go, I implore you."

"No," says he, doggedly, "for the finest woman in all England I will not go. Things have gone too far. Would you have me leave you at the mercy of this nice gentleman? Let me kill him first, and then we will talk about it."

He was quite cool now, and in full possession of the arrogant decision that seemed such an embellishment to his character. Therefore he stepped to