Dandy obeyed, and in a few moments he was the counterpart, so far as dress was concerned, of his master.
"Now stand up to it like a man, for I"m going to give you a hard one to-day," added Archy, as he flourished with the gloves before his companion.
There was a faint smile upon his countenance as he uttered these words, and Dandy saw signs of unusual energy in his eyes. He evidently intended to do some "big thing," and the sport was therefore more distasteful than ever to the body-servant, whose hands were, in a measure, fettered by his position.
Dandy placed himself in the proper att.i.tude, and went through all the forms incident to the science. At first Master Archy was cool and self-possessed, and his "plungers" and "left-handers" were adroitly parried by the other, who, if his master intended to win a decided triumph on the present occasion, was determined to make him earn his laurels. But Dandy did little more than avoid the blows; he gave none, and received none.
"Come, stand up to it!" shouted Archy, who soon began to be disgusted with these tame proceedings. "Why don"t you exert yourself?"
"I do, sir; I have done my best to ward off your blows," replied Dandy.
"I will give you something more to do, then," added Archy, and sprang to his game with redoubled vigor.
As a matter of prudence, Dandy permitted himself to be hit once on the side of the head. This encouragement was not lost upon Archy, and he increased his efforts, but he could not hit his rival again for some time. After a few moments his "wind" gave out, and operations were suspended. When he had recovered breath enough to speak, he proceeded to declare that Dandy had no spirit, and did not try to make the game exciting.
"I have done my best, sir," replied Dandy.
"No, you haven"t. You haven"t hit me yet, and you haven"t tried to do so."
"Yes, sir, I have."
"Don"t contradict me. Now we will try again."
They commenced once more, and immediately Dandy, in order to gratify his master, gave him a pretty smart blow upon the end of his nose. He hoped this would satisfy the grumbler, and bring the sport to a happy termination. As usual, the blow excited the pugnacity of Master Archy; and setting the rules of the art at defiance, he rushed upon his companion with all the impetuosity of his nature.
Dandy simply stood steady, and warded off the blows of his infuriate master; but in spite of his exertions he was. .h.i.t several times in the breast and face, and even "below the belt," for he did not deem it prudent to give another blow. Archy reared and plunged like an angry steed, till he had exhausted himself; but his temper had not yet spent itself. He sat down upon the ground, and rested himself for a moment, then, throwing away the gloves, proposed to finish the contest with the naked fists.
"I would rather not, Master Archy," replied Dandy, appalled at the idea.
"Throw away your gloves, and come on!" said Archy, brandishing his fists.
"I hope you will excuse me, Master Archy. I don"t want to be pounded to a jelly."
This was certainly complimentary, but there was still a burning sensation lingering about the nose of the young planter, where that member had been flattened by his fellow-pugilist.
"No whining; come on!" repeated Archy; and certain malicious thoughts which rankled in his heart were manifest in his eyes.
"If you please, Master Archy, I will keep my gloves on, and you may play without any."
"Do you think I will do that?" sneered Archy. "I am willing to take as good as I send. Off with your gloves!"
"But only consider, sir, if any thing should happen. If I should hit you by accident----"
"Hit, then!" cried Archy, angrily, as he sprang forward, and planted a heavy blow upon the cheek of the body-servant before the latter had time to place himself in the att.i.tude of defence, though he had thrown away his gloves in obedience to the mandate of his master.
For a few moments, Dandy defended himself from the impetuous a.s.sault of the young gentleman, who displayed a vigor and energy which he had never before exhibited. The consequences of any "accident" to his master were sufficiently apparent and he maintained his coolness until an unlucky blow on the nose caused that member to bleed, and at the same time produced a sharp and stinging pain.
Dandy had been politic and discreet up to this time, but the sharp pain roused a feeling of resentment in his nature. He had borne all he could, and no longer acting upon the defensive alone, he a.s.sumed the aggressive. Both parties were angry now, and for a moment, each did his best, which shortly brought the combat to a disastrous conclusion.
Dandy"s arm, which had before been prudentially soft and nerveless, suddenly hardened into solid muscle, and one of his heavy blows came full and square upon the region of Archy"s left eye. The young lord of the manor reeled as though a tornado had struck him, and fell heavily upon the ground.
The blow was a hard one, and it fired his southern blood still more. He leaped up, and seizing a large stick which lay upon the ground, he rushed towards his unhappy servant, with the intention of annihilating him upon the spot. Dandy"s senses came to him when he saw Archy fall, and he was appalled at the result of the conflict. He had struck the blow upon the impulse of a momentary rage, and he would have given any thing to recall it.
"I didn"t mean to do it, Master Archy! Forgive me!" pleaded he, as he retreated to avoid the uplifted club.
Archy was so furious that he could not speak, and Dandy was compelled to run for his life.
CHAPTER IV.
DANDY DETERMINES TO WATCH AND WAIT.
Fortunately for Dandy, Master Archy was not as "long-winded" as some orators of whom we have read, and, unhappily, heard; and therefore we cannot say to what extent his pa.s.sion would have led him on the present occasion. There was no fear of consequences to deter him from smiting his bondman, even unto death. If he had killed him, though the gentle-hearted might have frowned or trembled in his presence, there was no law that could reach him. There was no dread of prison and scaffold to stay his arm, and what his untamed fury prompted him to do, he might have done with impunity. Even the statute made for the protection of the slave from his cruel master, would have been of no avail, for the want of a white witness to substantiate the facts.
Dandy ran away. It was all he could do, except defend himself, which might have resulted in further injury to his young master, and thus involved him deeper than before in the guilt of striking a blow in his own defence. With no particular purpose in his mind, except to avoid the blow of the club, he retreated in the direction which led him away from the point where they had landed. He ran at his utmost speed for a few moments, for the impetuosity of his master had wonderfully increased his fleetness. Master Archy"s wind soon gave out, and he was no longer able to continue the chase. He abandoned the pursuit, and throwing himself upon the ground, vented his rage in a flood of tears.
Dandy did not deem it prudent to approach him while in this mood, and he seated himself on a stump at a point where he could observe his master"s motions. Master Archy was not cruel or vindictive by nature, and Dandy hoped that a few moments of rest would restore him to his equilibrium.
Archy"s faults were those of his education; they were the offspring of his social position. He had been accustomed to have his own way, except when his will came in opposition to that of his father, which was very seldom, for Colonel Raybone was extremely and injudiciously indulgent to his children.
It was evident to his body-servant that something had gone wrong that morning with Master Archy. He had never before carried his fury to such an extreme. Though he was never reasonable, it was not often that he was so unreasonable as on this occasion.
Dandy watched him patiently till he thought it was time his pa.s.sion had spent itself, and then walked towards him. Archy discovered the movement before he had advanced many steps; but without making a demonstration of any kind, he rose from the ground, and moved off towards the scene of the late encounter. As he pa.s.sed the spot, he took his coat upon his arm, and made his way to the Point.
The unhappy servant was troubled and mystified by this conduct; and he was still more bewildered when he saw Archy step into the boat, and heard him, in sharp tones, order the boatmen to pull home.
"Dar"s Dandy. Isn"t he gwine to go home wid us?" said Cyd, who was even more mystified than the body-servant.
"No questions! Obey my orders, and pull for home," replied Archy, as he adjusted his shirt sleeves and put on his coat.
When he had arranged his dress, he threw himself upon the velvet cushions, and took no further notice of Dandy or the crew. His orders were, of course, obeyed. The bow oarsman pushed off the boat, and she was headed up the Crosscut. By this time, poor Dandy, who, notwithstanding the obliquities of his master"s disposition, had a strong regard for him, reached the sh.o.r.e.
"I am very sorry for what has happened, Master Archy, and I hope you will forgive me," said he, in humble tones.
The imperious young lord made no reply to this supplicating pet.i.tion.
"Please to forgive me!" pleaded Dandy.
"Silence! Don"t speak to me again till I give you permission to do so,"
was the only reply he vouchsafed.
Dandy knew his master well enough to obey, literally, the injunction imposed upon him. Seating himself upon the ground, he watched the receding boat, as the l.u.s.ty oarsmen drove it rapidly through the water.
The events of the morning were calculated to induce earnest and serious reflection. The consequences of the affair were yet to be developed, but Dandy had no strong misgivings. Archy, he hoped and expected, would recover his good nature in a few hours, at the most, and then he would be forgiven, as he had been before.
It is true, he had never before given his master an angry blow; but he had been grievously provoked, and he hoped this would prove a sufficient excuse. Archy had lost his temper, sprung at him with the fury of a tiger, and struck him several severe blows. His face was even now covered with blood, and his nose ached from the flattening it had received. He could not feel that he had done a very wicked deed. He had only defended himself, which is the inborn right of man or boy when unjustly a.s.sailed. He had been invited, nay, pressed, to strike the blow which had caused the trouble.
Then he thought of his condition, of the wrongs and insults which had been heaped upon him; and if the few drops of negro blood that flowed in his veins prompted him to patience and submission, the white blood, the Anglo-Saxon inspiration of his nature, which coursed through the same channels, counselled resistance, mad as it might seem. As he thought of his situation, the tears came into his eyes, and he wept bitterly. The future was dark and forbidding, as the past had been joyless and hopeless. They were tears of anger and resentment, rather than of sorrow.