Finding Neither Willing To Make An Offer For
Reconciliation, He Called All Hands Up, (For The Captain Was
Ashore, And
He could do as he chose aboard,) ranged the crew
in the waist, marked a line on the deck, brought
The two boys
up to it, making them "toe the mark;" then made the bight of a
rope fast to a belaying pin, and stretched it across the deck,
bringing it just above their waists. "No striking below the
rope!" And there they stood, one on each side of it, face to
face, and went at it like two game-cocks. The Cape Cod boy, Nat,
put in his double-fisters, starting the blood, and bringing the
black and blue spots all over the face and arms of the other,
whom we expected to see give in every moment: but the more he
was hurt, the better he fought. Time after time he was knocked
nearly down, but up he came again and faced the mark, as bold as
a lion, again to take the heavy blows, which sounded so as to
make one's heart turn with pity for him. At length he came up
to the mark for the last time, his shirt torn from his body, his
face covered with blood and bruises, and his eyes flashing fire,
and swore he would stand there until one or the other was killed,
and set-to like a young fury. "Hurrah in the bow!" said the men,
cheering him on.
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