on the one knee with the assistance of his left hand, and fought most desperately until the tall sailor chopped his sword out of his grasp. Now the inference was, that the short sailor, reduced to this extremity, would give in at once and cry quarter, but instead of that he all of a sudden drew a large pistol from his belt and presented it at the face of the tall sailor, who was so overcome at this (not expecting it) that he let the short sailor pick up his sword and begin again. Then the chopping recommenced, and a variety of fancy chops were administered on both sides, such as chops dealt with the left hand and under the leg and over the right shoulder and over the left, and when the short sailor made a vigorous cut at the tall sailor's legs, which would have shaved them clean off if it had taken effect, the tall sailor jumped over the short sailor's sword, wherefore to balance the matter and make it all fair, the tall sailor administered the same cut and the short sailor jumped over his sword. After this there was a good deal of dodging about and hitching up of the inexpressibles in the absence of braces, and then the short sailor (who was the moral character evidently, for he always had the best of it) made a violent demonstration and closed with the tall sailor, who, after a few unavailing struggles, went down and expired in great torture as the short sailor put his foot upon his breast and bored a hole in him through and through.
"That'll be a double encore if you take care, boys," said Mr. Crummles. "You had better get your wind now, and change your clothes."
Having addressed these words to the combatants, he saluted Nicholas, who then observed that the face of Mr, Crummles was quite proportionate in size to his body; that he had a very full under-lip, a hoarse voice, as though he were in the habit of shouting very much, and very short black hair, shaved off nearly to the crown of his head—to admit (as he afterwards learnt) of his more easily wearing character wigs of any shape or pattern.
"What did you think of that, Sir?" inquired Mr. Crummles.
"Very good, indeed—capital," answered Nicholas.
"You won't see such boys as those very often, I think," said Mr. Crummles.
Nicholas assented—observing, that if they were a little better match——
"Match!" cried Mr. Crummles.
"I mean if they were a little more of a size," said Nicholas, explaining himself.
"Size!" repeated Mr. Crummles; "why, it's the very essence of the combat that there should be a foot or two between them. How are you to get up the sympathies of the audience in a legitimate manner, if there isn't a little man contending against a great one—unless there's at least five to one, and we haven't hands enough for that business in our company."
"I see," replied Nicholas. "I beg your pardon. That didn't occur to me, I confess."
"It's the main point," said Mr. Crummles. " I open at Portsmouth the day after to-morrow. If you're going there, look into the theatre, and see how that'll tell."
