with bad blood. He had been in irons for some time before the vessel
arrived at Rio, for having one day sworn on deck that he would murder
the captain. It was with this ruffian that Salve had first to measure
himself, the boatswain being the immediate cause.

One day when the large bell forward had rung for dinner, the boatswain
gave an order which detained Salve for some time after the others had
taken their places at the long table in the round-house, and when he
came in everything was eaten up, and he lost his dinner. The following
day exactly the same thing happened, and he had to content himself with
his breakfast and supper rations for the day. He perfectly understood
the meaning of it. In smartness and activity he was so far beyond
comparison superior to any of the other foretop hands, that the
boatswain had not been able to find any excuse for subjecting him to
punishment: he was going to try and hit him in another way. On his
lonely watch that night Salve decided what he should do if the trick was
practised a third time upon him. It would be better to bring things to a
crisis at once than have his strength gradually exhausted by continued
insufficiency of food.

The same order being given at the same time next day, he carried it out
as speedily as he could, and hurried on then to the round-house, where
the others were already at their dinner, with a bowl of meat and soup to
every two men.

He sat down by the side of the Irishman, who he saw had a bowl to
himself.

"Put the bowl this way," he said, coolly.

The Irishman merely looked at him contemptuously. He was evidently
astonished at his audacity, but went on eating composedly.

Salve felt that he must not be beaten.

"Life for life, Irishman," he cried, springing to his feet, and as the
other also rose, giving him a blow in the face that sent him backwards
on the bench against the wall.

A fierce conflict now ensued. The Irishman got up like a bleeding ox,
and catching up a marline-spike that was hanging from the beam, gave
Salve a deep wound in the cheek, the scar of which he carried his whole
life through. They drew their knives then; and Salve's coolness and
activity soon gave him the superiority over his furious and unwieldy
opponent. His movements were like those of a steel spring; and pale and
smiling, he delivered every blow with such well-calculated effect, that
the affair ended with the Irishman, bleeding profusely and
half-unconscious, t