the first. Only when he gets home I pray
that he will look at his back in a glass and judge which of us it is
that has been 'beaten to a pulp.' Let him return thanks also to his
patron saint, who put pity in my heart, so that I did not cut him into
collops, as I promised. For know, sir, that when I walked out yonder
it was my purpose to hew off his hands and shorten him at the knees.
Stay--one word more. If yonder boaster has more brothers who really wish
to fight, I'll take them one by one and swear to them that this time
I'll not give back a step unless I'm carried."

"Do you indeed yield and accept the Englishman's mercy?" asked the Doge
in a stern voice.

The poor Ambrosio, making no answer, blundered forward among the crowd
and there vanished, and this was the last that Dick ever saw or heard of
him. But, although he waited there a while, feeling the edge of his axe
and glaring about him, none of the captain's companions came forward to
accept his challenge.

At length, with a shrug of his shoulders, Dick turned. Having taken his
bow and quiver from David, who could not conceal his indecent joy at the
utter humiliation of Ambrosio, whom he hated with a truly British hate,
he walked slowly to where Hugh sat upon his horse.

"The jest is done, master, and now for good earnest, since 'tis your
turn. The Saints save me such another cow hunt in this hell's heat. Had
I killed him at once I should be cooler now, but it came into my mind to
let the hound live. Indeed, to speak truth, I thought that I heard the
voice of Murgh behind me, saying, 'Spare,' and knew that I must obey."

"I hope he will say nothing of the sort to me presently," answered Hugh,
"if he is here, which I doubt. Why, what is it now? Those gold-coated
marshals are talking again."

Talking they were, evidently at the instance of Cattrina, or his
counsellors, who had raised some new objections, which Sir Geoffrey
stepped forward to explain to them. But Hugh would not even hear him
out.

"Tell the man and all whom it may concern," he said in an angry voice,
"that I am ready to fight him as he will, on horse or on foot, with
lance or sword or axe or dagger, or any or all of them, in mail or
without it; or, if it pleases him, stripped to the shirt. Only let him
settle swiftly, since unless the sweat runs into my eyes and dims them,
it seems to me that night is coming before it is noon."

"You are right," answered Sir Geoffrey, "this gathering gloom