"What young man, sir?" he cried sharply. "Do you mean Tristram Salt?"
"I really don"t know his name; but he was accompanied, to be sure, by a Captain Salt when I met him at Vlaardingen."
Captain Barker groaned.
"But excuse me," pursued the old gentleman in blue, still addressing Captain Runacles, "I spoke not only of a young man, but of a message. Did he deliver it?"
"If you mean Tristram Salt, I have not clapped eyes on him since the 1st of May last."
"Then I will deliver it myself. You do not appear to know me-"
"Not from Adam."
"My name is Cornelius van Adrienssen, and you, Captain Runacles, once flung a boot at my head."
"Did I, indeed! It was in a moment of extreme irritation, no doubt."
"We were engaged off the Texel-June the 5th, "71, was the date. You were on board the Galloper, I on the Zeelandshoop. Night parted us-"
"I begin to remember the incident."
"Then I need not proceed. Let me merely remark that I have kept that boot."
"Whatever for?"
"What for, sir?" cried the choleric old gentleman, now fairly hopping with rage. "What for? To throw it back, sir-that"s why."
"My dear Captain van Adrienssen, is not this rather childish? Twenty years is a long time to harbour resentment."
"You shall fight me, sir."
"Tut, tut!"
"I regret that I have not the boot with me to fling back at you-"
"You have a pair on your feet, sir," suggested the Englishman, whose temper was rising.
"-But this shall do instead!" and taking his glove Captain van Adrienssen dashed it in Captain Runacles" face.
"By the Lord, you shall pay for this!"
"I am ready, sir."
They tugged off their coats and pulled out their swords.
"Sirs, sirs!" cried the young ensign; "remember you are in his Majesty"s park."
But before his sentence was out the two swords were crossed, and the old gentlemen attacking each other with the unregulated ardour of a pair of schoolboys.
"Jerry, Jerry," murmured Captain Barker, "you never had much science, but this is fool-work."
Captain Runacles heard, straightened his arm and controlled himself. He had little science, but an extremely tough wrist. As for Captain van Adrienssen, the veins of his neck were so swollen with pa.s.sion that his wig curled up at the edge and stood out straight behind him in the absurdest fashion.
"The boot-the boot!" he kept exclaiming, stamping with each lunge. "Take that for the boot, sir!" He aimed a furious thrust in tierce at Captain Runacles" breast.
"And that for the glove, sir!" retorted his adversary, parrying and running his blade on and through the exposed arm by the elbow.
The arm dropped. Captain van Adrienssen scowled, looked round, and was caught in his companion"s arms as he fell.
"And now, sir, let me express my regret," began Captain Jerry, advancing and stooping over him.
"I"ll have you yet!" retorted this implacable old gentleman; and with that fainted away. He awoke to find his arm bandaged and the little group still standing around him.
"Peter," he said, sitting up with an effort; "get my coat."
"But, Captain, you cannot put it on," remonstrated Peter, a squarely built man with eyes of a porcelain blue.
"Then how in the world do you suppose that I"m to get past the sentries?"
"You"ll be carried."
"And let every man of them know that this gentleman and I have been fighting in his Majesty"s park! Tut, tut; you"ll have them both arrested in a jiffy. Give me my coat!"
"You cannot get your arm into it."
"My worthy Peter, you"re my excellent lieutenant and a fair seaman; but I begin to doubt if you"ll ever make a captain. You"ve no resource. Take your knife. Now slit down the inner seam of the sleeve-so. Now lift me up and help me into it."
He stood on his legs. His face was a trifle pale, but he kept his jaw set firmly.
"Now b.u.t.ton the sleeve at the wrist."
"But it still gapes above."
"Of course it does. Therefore we will walk arm-in-arm; only you must hold me very gently. There, that"s it." He nodded stiffly, and was moving away on Peter"s arm when Captain Barker interposed.
"Excuse me, Captain van Adrienssen, but just outside the park gate you"ll find a litter, which I am happy to place at your service."
"Thank you, sir, but I"ll not use it."
"You will," said Peter decidedly.
"Why, sir, we have to start for Amsterdam to-night."
"You"ll get no farther than The Hague," said Peter; "and there you"ll be put to bed."
They walked slowly off, arm-in-arm. Drawing near the sentries, Captain van Adrienssen groaned.
"Going to faint?" Peter asked.