Both of them reached out and brushed Carter away, and the next instant they were at it.
Bishop ducked and got an underhold, and I was sure Harding would go down, but he braced himself with his huge legs, and with the strength of a giant broke the clasp of his opponent"s arms. It takes skill as well as muscle to do this, and I saw at a glance that Harding had not forgotten the tricks of his boyhood. As Bishop spun half-way around the other caught him at a disadvantage, raised him clear from the turf and dashed him down, falling with all his weight upon him.
It was as clean and quick a fall as I have seen, but for a second my heart stood still, fearing Bishop"s neck had been broken. He gasped once or twice, and then I heard a m.u.f.fled laugh.
"Let me up, Bob; that"s one for you!" he said, and both struggled to their feet. There was a rent in the right knee of Harding"s trousers, and his shirt was a sight, but he neither knew of this nor would have cared for it.
"Not quite so soft and easy as you thought I was eh, Jim?" he panted, extending his hand. "You got the holt all right, but you wasn"t quick enough."
"I held you too cheap that time," admitted Bishop, rather sheepishly, throwing away a pair of ruined suspenders, "but I"ll get you this time.
Come on, Bob!"
"You referee this match, Smith!" said Harding, standing on guard. "You know the rules. No fall unless both shoulders and one hip is down."
Misfortune had taught Bishop caution. I could see he feared Harding"s enormous strength and that he aimed to wind him if possible. He managed to elude the grasp of his antagonist for probably a minute, and more by luck than skill fell on top when the end of the clinch came. But Harding was not down by any means, and there then ensued a struggle which made me oblivious to all surroundings.
Though I was the referee I was "rooting" for Harding, and so was Carter, while Marshall and Chilvers were giving mental and vocal encouragement to Bishop. I do not suppose any of us realised we were saying a word.
First Harding would have a slight advantage, and then the tide would turn in favour of Bishop. The latter was more agile, but the former outcla.s.sed him in power. They writhed along that croquet ground like two gigantic tumble-bugs locked in a life and death struggle. Neither said a word, and both were absolutely fair in attack and defense. As the struggle continued it seemed to me that Harding was weakening, but he told me later he was merely resting for the effort which would insure him victory.
I heard the swish of skirts, the frightened cry of female voices, and the next instant two most estimable ladies invaded the improvised ring and laid hands on the princ.i.p.als.
I doubt if the combined physical exertion of Mrs. Bishop and Mrs.
Harding could have made the slightest impress on the embrace which held their lords and masters, but what they said had a magical and peacemaking effect.
"James Bishop, you should be ashamed of yourself!" exclaimed Mrs.
Bishop, tugging at the remnant of a shirt, which promptly detached itself from the general wreck.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "We"re not fighting, my dear!"]
"Robert Harding, what do you mean by fighting?" gasped Mrs. Harding, tugging at his undershirt, the outer garment long since having lost its ent.i.ty.
Instantly they relaxed their holds, rolled over and came to a sitting posture, facing each other and their respective wives. It was as if the act had carefully been rehea.r.s.ed, and was ludicrous beyond any description at my command.
Their glances rested for an instant on one another, and then on their frightened and indignant helpmates. Their att.i.tude was that of two schoolboys detected by their teachers in some forbidden act. I am sure Harding would have spoken sooner if he could have recovered his breath.
"We"re not fighting, my dear!" he managed to say. "Are we, Jim?" he added with a mighty effort.
"Of course not," declared Bishop, gouging a piece of turf from his eye.
"We"re only ra.s.slin"; that"s all, isn"t it, Bob?"
"And you in your best suit of clothes, James Bishop!" exclaimed his good wife.
"You should see how you look, Mr. Harding," added his better half with justifiable emphasis. "Are you hurt?" anger changing to solicitude.
"Of course I"m not hurt," he a.s.serted. "We were only fooling. Where in thunder is my shirt?"
And then Chilvers and Carter and Marshall and I exploded. It was not a dignified thing to do, and I apologised to both of the ladies afterward, but we fell down on that mutilated croquet-ground and laughed until exhausted. I am glad Miss Harding and the others were not there.
a.s.sisted by their wives the two gladiators had struggled to their feet, but the most cursory inspection disclosed that they were more presentable when on the ground. And then the ladies joined in the laugh.
"Jack," said Mr. Bishop, who has called me by that nickname since I was seven years old, "Jack, go out to the old barn and get a pair of horse blankets. You know where I keep them."
"You"ve got a great head on you, Jim," roared Harding. "I was thinking of a pair of barrels."
When I returned with the red and yellow blankets the ladies had disappeared.
"Never mind sending down to the club for your other clothes," Bishop was saying. "I"ve got several suits, such as they are, and I reckon one of them will fit ye."
"This blanket is pretty good," declared the magnate. "Say, Jim, what was it you said about that fifty-year-old cider?"
"I"m glad I didn"t give you any more of it; I"d lost my life as well as my clothes," declared the farmer. "If they"d stayed away "nother minute or so I"d won that second fall, sure as sin, Bob," he said, rather ruefully, as we wrapped the blanket around him.
"You just think you would," grinned Harding, lifting up the blanket so as to keep from stumbling over it. "Say, it must be tough to have to wear skirts all the time. Be a good fellow, Smith, and hold up my train."
They tried to sneak in at the back entrance, but Miss Harding and the others saw them and headed them off. I shall never forget their looks of amazement, and then the screams of laughter which followed the hurried explanation.
I must postpone an account of the dinner and the dance until the next entry.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "It must be tough to have to wear skirts all the time"]
ENTRY NO. XI
THE BARN DANCE
We gave Mr. Harding a great reception when he appeared on the veranda, arrayed in garments furnished by our host. I have an idea Mr. Bishop"s wardrobe was about exhausted when the two of them had completed their toilet.
"What do you think of me?" demanded Harding, striking a pose.
He obtained a variety of opinions. They were unable to find a "boiled shirt" with an eighteen inch neck band or collar, so a blue gingham one was made to do service. The only coat broad enough across the shoulders was a "Prince Albert," in which Bishop had been married, and Harding admitted the combination was not exactly _de rigeur_. The trousers were woefully tight at the waist, and were inches too long.
"You are lucky to get anything," declared Mrs. Harding, retying the wonderful red and yellow scarf and vainly attempting to smooth out some of the wrinkles in the coat. "You should be made to go home and to bed without your supper."
"You surely are the real goods, Governor," said Chilvers, walking about him and inspecting his costume from all angles. "What show have Marshall and the rest of us at to-night"s dance against you?"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "What do you think of me?"]
Miss Lawrence pinned a bunch of nasturtiums on his coat, and we all stood and hilariously admired him. Bishop called him aside and motioned me to join them.
"Mother and I don"t know what to do about Wallace," our host said, after hesitating a moment. "He"s our hired man, you know," he added.
"What about him?" asked Harding.