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. "Well crowed!" "Never say die, while there's
a shot in the locker!" Nat tried to close with him, knowing his
advantage, but the mate stopped that, saying there should be fair
play, and no fingering. Nat then came up to the mark, but looked
white about the mouth, and his blows were not given with half the
spirit of his first. He was evidently cowed. He had always been
his master, and had nothing to gain, and everything to lose;
while the other fought for honor and freedom, under a sense of
wrong. It would not do. It was soon over. Nat gave in; not so
much beaten, as cowed and mortified; and never afterwards tried
to act the bully on board. We took George forward, washed him
in the deck-tub, complimented his pluck, and from this time he
became somebody on board, having fought himself into notice.
Mr. Brown's plan had a good effect, for there was no more quarrelling
among the boys for the rest of the voyage.
Wednesday, January 6th. Set sail from Monterey, with a number of
Spaniards as passengers, and shaped our course for Santa Barbara.
The Diana went out of the bay in company with us, but parted from
us off Point Pinos, being bound to the Sandwich Islands. We had a
smacking breeze for several hours, and went along at a great rate,
until night, when it died away, as usual, and the land-breeze set in,
which brought us upon a taught bowline.
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