Men of Iron

by Howard Pyle

  CHAPTER 16

  I have no intention to describe the fight between Myles Falworth andWalter Blunt. Fisticuffs of nowadays are brutal and debasing enough, buta fight with a sharp-edged broadsword was not only brutal and debasing,but cruel and bloody as well.

  From the very first of the fight Myles Falworth was palpably andobviously overmatched. After fifteen minutes had passed, Blunt stoodhale and sound as at first; but poor Myles had more than one red stainof warm blood upon doublet and hose, and more than one bandage had beenwrapped by Gascoyne and Wilkes about sore wounds.

  He had received no serious injury as yet, for not only was his bodyprotected by a buckler, or small oblong shield, which he carried uponhis left arm, and his head by a bascinet, or light helmet of steel, butperhaps, after all, Blunt was not over-anxious to do him any dangerousharm. Nevertheless, there could be but one opinion as to how the fighttended, and Myles's friends were gloomy and downcast; the bachelorsproportionately exultant, shouting with laughter, and taunting Myles atevery unsuccessful stroke.

  Once, as he drew back panting, leaning upon Gascoyne's shoulder, thefaithful friend whispered, with trembling lips: "Oh, dear Myles, carryit no further. Thou hurtest him not, and he will slay thee ere he havedone with thee."

  Thereupon Blunt, who caught the drift of the speech, put in a word."Thou art sore hurt, Myles Falworth," said he, "and I would do thee nogrievous harm. Yield thee and own thyself beaten, and I will forgivethee. Thou hast fought a good fight, and there is no shame in yieldingnow."

  "Never!" cried Myles, hoarsely--"never will I yield me! Thou mayst slayme, Walter Blunt, and I reck not if thou dost do so, but never else wiltthou conquer me."

  There was a tone of desperation in his voice that made all look serious.

  "Nay," said Blunt; "I will fight thee no more, Myles Falworth; thou hasthad enough."

  "By heavens!" cried Myles, grinding his teeth, "thou shalt fight me,thou coward! Thou hast brought this fight upon us, and either thou or Iget our quittance here. Let go, Gascoyne!" he cried, shaking loose hisfriend's hold; "I tell thee he shall fight me!"

  From that moment Blunt began to lose his head. No doubt he had notthought of such a serious fight as this when he had given his challenge,and there was a savage bull-dog tenacity about Myles that could not buthave had a somewhat demoralizing effect upon him.

  A few blows were given and taken, and then Myles's friends gave a shout.Blunt drew back, and placed his hand to his shoulder. When he drewit away again it was stained with red, and another red stain grew andspread rapidly down the sleeve of his jacket. He stared at his hand fora moment with a half-dazed look, and then glanced quickly to right andleft.

  "I will fight no more," said he, sullenly.

  "Then yield thee!" cried Myles, exultantly.

  The triumphant shouts of the Knights of the Rose stung Blunt like alash, and the battle began again. Perhaps some of the older lads were ofa mind to interfere at this point, certainly some looked very serious,but before they interposed, the fight was ended.

  Blunt, grinding his teeth, struck one undercut at his opponent--thesame undercut that Myles had that time struck at Sir James Lee at theknight's bidding when he first practised at the Devlen pels. Mylesmet the blow as Sir James had met the blow that he had given, and thenstruck in return as Sir James had struck--full and true. The bascinetthat Blunt wore glanced the blow partly, but not entirely. Myles felthis sword bite through the light steel cap, and Blunt dropped his ownblade clattering upon the floor. It was all over in an instant, but inthat instant what he saw was stamped upon Myles's mind with an indelibleimprint. He saw the young man stagger backward; he saw the eyes rollupward; and a red streak shoot out from under the cap and run downacross the cheek.

  Blunt reeled half around, and then fell prostrate upon his face; andMyles stood staring at him with the delirious turmoil of his battledissolving rapidly into a dumb fear at that which he had done.

  Once again he had won the victory--but what a victory! "Is he dead?" hewhispered to Gascoyne.

  "I know not," said Gascoyne, with a very pale face. "But come away,Myles." And he led his friend out of the room.

  Some little while later one of the bachelors came to the dormitory whereMyles, his wounds smarting and aching and throbbing, lay stretched uponhis cot, and with a very serious face bade him to go presently to SirJames, who had just come from dinner, and was then in his office.

  By this time Myles knew that he had not slain his enemy, and his heartwas light in spite of the coming interview. There was no one inthe office but Sir James and himself, and Myles, without concealinganything, told, point by point, the whole trouble. Sir James sat lookingsteadily at him for a while after he had ended.

  "Never," said he, presently, "did I know any one of ye squires, in allthe time that I have been here, get himself into so many broils as thou,Myles Falworth. Belike thou sought to take this lad's life."

  "Nay," said Myles, earnestly; "God forbid!"

  "Ne'theless," said Sir James, "thou fetched him a main shrewd blow; andit is by good hap, and no fault of thine, that he will live to do moremischief yet. This is thy second venture at him; the third time, haply,thou wilt end him for good." Then suddenly assuming his grimmest andsternest manner: "Now, sirrah, do I put a stop to this, and no moreshall ye fight with edged tools. Get thee to the dormitory, and abidethere a full week without coming forth. Michael shall bring thee breadand water twice a day for that time. That is all the food thou shalthave, and we will see if that fare will not cool thy hot humors withal."

  Myles had expected a punishment so much more severe than that which wasthus meted to him, that in the sudden relief he broke into a convulsivelaugh, and then, with a hasty sweep, wiped a brimming moisture from hiseyes.

  Sir James looked keenly at him for a moment. "Thou art white i' theface," said he. "Art thou wounded very sorely?"

  "Nay" said Myles, "it is not much; but I be sick in my stomach."

  "Aye, aye," said Sir James; "I know that feeling well. It is thusthat one always feeleth in coming out from a sore battle when one hathsuffered wounds and lost blood. An thou wouldst keep thyself hale, keepthyself from needless fighting. Now go thou to the dormitory, and, as Isaid, come thou not forth again for a week. Stay, sirrah!" he added; "Iwill send Georgebarber to thee to look to thy sores. Green wounds arebest drawn and salved ere they grow cold."

  I wonder what Myles would have thought had he known that so soon ashe had left the office, Sir James had gone straight to the Earl andrecounted the whole matter to him, with a deal of dry gusto, and thatthe Earl listened laughing.

  "Aye," said he, when Sir James had done, "the boy hath mettle, sure.Nevertheless, we must transplant this fellow Blunt to the office ofgentleman-in-waiting. He must be old enough now, and gin he stayeth inhis present place, either he will do the boy a harm, or the boy will dohim a harm."

  So Blunt never came again to trouble the squires' quarters; andthereafter the youngsters rendered no more service to the elders.

  Myles's first great fight in life was won.