ght parted us--"

"I begin to remember the incident."

"Then I need not proceed. Let me merely remark that I have kept that
boot."

"Whatever for?"

"What for, sir?" cried the choleric old gentleman, now fairly hopping
with rage. "What for? To throw it back, sir--that's why."

"My dear Captain van Adrienssen, is not this rather childish?
Twenty years is a long time to harbour resentment."

"You shall fight me, sir."

"Tut, tut!"

"I regret that I have not the boot with me to fling back at you--"

"You have a pair on your feet, sir," suggested the Englishman, whose
temper was rising.

"--But this shall do instead!" and taking his glove Captain van
Adrienssen dashed it in Captain Runacles' face.

"By the Lord, you shall pay for this!"

"I am ready, sir."

They tugged off their coats and pulled out their swords.

"Sirs, sirs!" cried the young ensign; "remember you are in his
Majesty's park."

But before his sentence was out the two swords were crossed, and the
old gentlemen attacking each other with the unregulated ardour of a
pair of schoolboys.

"Jerry, Jerry," murmured Captain Barker, "you never had much science,
but this is fool-work."

Captain Runacles heard, straightened his arm and controlled himself.
He had little science, but an extremely tough wrist. As for Captain
van Adrienssen, the veins of his neck were so swollen with passion
that his wig curled up at the edge and stood out straight behind him
in the absurdest fashion.

"The boot--the boot!" he kept exclaiming, stamping with each lunge.
"Take that for the boot, sir!" He aimed a furious thrust in tierce
at Captain Runacles' breast.

"And that for the glove, sir!" retorted his adversary, parrying and
running his blade on and through the exposed arm by the elbow.

The arm dropped. Captain van Adrienssen scowled, looked round, and
was caught in his companion's arms as he fell.

"And now, sir, let me express my regret," began Captain Jerry,
advancing and stooping over him.

"I'll have you yet!" retorted this implacable old gentleman; and with
that fainted away. He awoke to find his arm bandaged and the little
group still standing around him.

"Peter," he said, sitting up with an effort; "get my coat."

"But, Captain, you cannot put it on," remonstrated Peter, a squarely
built man with eyes of a porcelain blue.

"Then how in the world do you suppose that I'm to get past the
sentries?"

"You'll be carried."

"And let ev