Was nothing in heaven or earth
that I was afraid to tackle single-handed, that I almost believed it
myself.
There was no doubt they believed it, for they murmured in admiration "My
word! Missus big mob cheeky fellow all right." But in their admiration
they forgot that they were supposed to be quaking with fear themselves,
and took no precautions against the pretended attack. "Putting
themselves away properly," the Dandy said when I told him about it.
"It was a try-on all right," he added. "Evidence was against you, but
they struck an unexpected snag. You'll have to keep it up, though"; and
deciding "there was nothing in the yarn," the Dandy slept in the
Quarters, and I in the House, leaving the doors and windows open as
usual.
When this was reported at dawn by Billy Muck, who had taken no part in
the intimidation scheme, a wholesome awe crept into the old men's
admiration; for a black fellow is fairly logical in these matters.
To him, the man who crouches behind barred doors is a coward, and may be
attacked without much risk, while he who relies only on his own strength
appears as a Goliath defying the armies of a nation, and is best left
alone, lest he develop into a Samson annihilating Philistines.
Fortunately for my reputation, only the Dandy knew that we considered
open doors easier to get out of than closed ones, and that my revolver
was to be fired to call him from the Quarters if anything alarming
occurred.
