"Fat you say, sare?" cried the man, turning fiercely towards Briant, and
swearing at him in bad English.

"Say, is it? Oh, then _there's_ a translation for ye, that's understood
in all lingos."

Phil shook his clenched fist as close as possible to the nose of the
Portuguese commander without actually coming into contact with that
hooked and prominent organ.

The man started back and drew his knife, at the same time calling to
several of his men, who advanced with their drawn knives.

"Ho!" cried Briant, and a jovial smile overspread his rough countenance
as he sprang to a clear spot of ground and rolled up both sleeves of his
shirt to the shoulders, thereby displaying a pair of arms that might, at
a rapid glance, have been mistaken for a pair of legs--"that's yer game,
is it? won't I stave in yer planks! won't I shiver yer timbers, and
knock out yer daylights, bless yer purty faces! I didn't think ye had
it in ye; come on darlints--toothpicks and all--as many as ye like; the
more the better--wan at a time, or all at wance, it don't matter, not
the laste, be no manes!"

While Briant gave utterance to these liberal invitations, he performed a
species of revolving dance, and flourished his enormous fists in so
ludicrous a manner, that despite the serious nature of the fray the two
parties were likely to be speedily engaged in, his comrades could not
restrain their laughter.

"Go it, Pat!" cried one.

"True blue!" shouted another.

"Silence!" cried Captain Dunning, in a voice that enforced obedience.
"Get into the canoe, Briant."

"Och! capting," exclaimed the wrathful Irishman, reproachfully, "sure ye
wouldn't spile the fun?"

"Go to the canoe, sir."

"Ah! capting dear, jist wan round!"

"Go to the canoe, I say."

"I'll do it all in four minits an' wan quarter, av ye'll only shut yer
eyes," pleaded Phil.

"Obey orders, will you?" cried the captain, in a voice there was no
mistaking.

Briant indignantly thrust his fists into his breeches pockets, and
rolled slowly down towards the canoe, as--to use one of his own
favourite expressions--sulky as a bear with a broken head.

Meanwhile the captain stepped up to the Portuguese sailors and told them
to mind their own business, and let _honest_ men alone; adding, that if
they did not take his advice, he would first give them a licking and
then pitch them all into the river.

This last remark caused Briant to prick up his ears and withdraw his
fists fr