Order
upon the ship, he maintained, must, for the common safety, be rigidly
observed, but if bad blood arose between men of high spirit and hot
temper, the malcontents were landed at some convenient place where, in
the presence of the ship's company to see fair play, they fought the
matter out, afterwards returning on board with their ardour cooled, and
their anger properly chastened. This plan, on the whole, was found to
work well. Sometimes one and sometimes both of the combatants were
killed, but, as a rule, the matter was settled without the sacrifice of
life, and the parties returned from their blood-letting the better
friends.
After hearing Hartog's decision we both bowed and retired, and, in the
terms of our promise, resumed the ordinary routine of our duties as
though nothing out of the common had occurred. But the news of the
coming fight spread among the crew and became the subject of gossip
throughout the ship.
I was now near twenty-one and Van Luck was three years my senior, we
being all young men on board the "Endraght"; but I had led a hardy
life, and my spell ashore had taken off superfluous flesh, and left me
active and alert, with muscles like steel, an advantage not given to my
older antagonist, who had, perforce, lived a monotonous existence for
months past on shipboard.
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