ween us. But after a pass or two I knew (and
the knowledge surprised me not a little), that I had no mean
swordsman to deal with. His riposte came quick upon my lunge; he
had a very agile wrist; 'twas clear he had had much practice in a
good school; and being determined not to do him a serious injury I
put myself at some disadvantage and had much ado to avoid his
point. He was beset by no such scruples, I could see, and would
willingly have taken my life, which made my task all the harder.

Finding him thus proficient in all the ordinary tricks of sword
play, I saw myself in a difficulty. I had no doubt that I could
bring things to a speedy end by employing the special botte which
Captain Galsworthy had taught me; and if we had been fencing for
sport I should already have used it to disarm my adversary. But
fighting as we were (at least, as he was) in deadly earnest, I
could not be sure that my botte would not be too successful, and
that, instead of merely striking his sword from his hand, I should
not run him through. The caution I displayed was mistaken by him
(and by his friends also, I suspect) for weakness, and gaining
courage therefrom, he pressed me so hard that, unless I had gone
instantly to the extremity I wished to avoid, I could not have
parried the thrust which pinked me in the shoulder.

"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, c