d into requisition.

In the afternoon Condor came up to Edgar, who was talking with some of
the other midshipmen, and said:

"Now, Mr. Blagrove, if you really meant what you said, I think this is a
good opportunity to settle our affair. Your valuable services are not
likely to be required for a few days, and if you don't wish to back out
you had better come with me below."

"With pleasure," Edgar said quietly. "I have had some difficulty in
waiting, and have several times been on the verge of stopping your
pleasant habit of bullying youngsters."

"Well, you need not say any more," Condor said savagely; "let us see
what you can do."

Wilkinson and two or three others who were off duty went down at once
with Edgar, and as the news spread among the others, every midshipman
who could possibly get away unnoticed, stole off also, and joined them
on the lower deck. Half a dozen lanterns were lighted and hung up from
the beams. A few of the sailors, seeing so many midshipmen going down
there, guessed that there was a fight coming off, and descending the
hatchway forward, stole noiselessly aft to watch it.

Wilkinson had said nothing to the others of what he had heard in the
cabin. The general belief was that although Edgar, no doubt, would make
a plucky fight of it, he had no chance whatever with an opponent nearly
three years his senior, two or three stone heavier, and with a
reputation for being able to use his fists well.

The opponents stripped to the waist and faced each other. Wilkinson
acted as Edgar's second; none of the older ones would act for Condor,
but a lad of fifteen, who dared not refuse his request, did so.

The combat is best described in the language in which one of the tars
who witnessed it related it to his comrades.

"I never seed such a thing in all my born days," he said. "It did not
look a fair thing, for it was like a man against a boy. Condor is about
three inches taller than the young 'un, and much more strongly built.
The young 'un stripped well, and looked a wonderfully wiry young chap;
there was a determined look about his face, and I guessed that he was
game to the backbone; but his chance did not seem worth speaking of.
Well, they stood up. The young one moved about quick on his pins for a
moment, and then, it was so quick that you could scarce see how it was
done, he gave a sort of bound, and hit out with his right, and the next
moment Condor was on his back.

"I never saw such a cl