With Ring of Shield

by Knox Magee

CHAPTER VIII

THE DUEL

When I reached my room I sat down for a moment and thought. Then I arose and walked about the room, and thought, of nothing but my great happiness, and my good fortune in having at last accomplished that which I had for so long desired.

Was it not delightful to be certain that some day my darling Hazel was to be the mistress of Bradley House, which had stood without a mistress for so long a time.

I pictured to myself how I would have the place altered and brightened, that it might be in better keeping with its fair inmate. I could even hear her light-hearted song, as she fluttered about the house, and played among the flowers, like a gayly-colored butterfly. I saw us strolling through our park. Her fair hand was resting on my shoulder, and mine arm did encircle her fairy waist. The sun was pouring through the trees like streams of fine gold. The birds were singing all around us, and all nature seemed trying to keep in harmony with our love and add unto our happiness. Now and then would I stoop and pick a flower and place it in her beauteous, dark brown hair. Then did I see my father's faithful old servant, Dickon, come shuffling across the lawn to tell us that it was time for dinner.

And so my dream goeth on, till it is interrupted by Harleston, who enters my room. He was dressed in a long flowing robe, and there was nothing about his appearance that would tell us he had been to a ball that night.

"Well upon my soul, Bradley, art thou still sitting up? Why, methought that I was the only late bird about the Castle. And your clothes still on. Come, come, Walter, thou must be careful and do not let this flood of happiness drown thy reason."

"Fear not for that," I replied; "for the said flood is so thick that my reason doth float upon the surface."

"Indeed thou dost put it well. But come now, I must to that which brought me here at this unseemly hour. When you did take me into that small room, this evening, thou saidst that thou hadst two communications of importance to make. So far you have made but one: it was my desire to hear the other that brought me here to-night."

"Ah, yes, I had forgot," I replied. "Now the second is this, and I will not so hesitate in the telling of it as I did with the first." Then I told him all I had overheard, and how I came to be the unwilling listener.

When I had finished he said:—"Thou mayst thank Heaven that thou didst overhear that same conversation; for it doth give us the key unto the puzzle which Richard will present to England, in case the King doth not recover. The Queen should be warned," he continued.

"And yet it might avail nothing. In case we warned the Queen, and the King recovered, we might find our heads upon the block for having interfered. It is a dangerous matter to play with royalty; for," I continued, "his Majesty King Edward is a good and kind master, but he is also one which doth not like his family matters pried into. When he is roused he is the very devil in human form. We have the Duke of Clarence for an example. We had better think of his grave of malmsey, and so profit by the picture, and hold our peace." Methought it better to warn him; for I began to fear that my dear friend's honesty might lead off his better judgment, and so he might fall into disfavor with the King, should his Majesty recover, and this was ever but the first step in the ladder leading up the scaffold.

"Perhaps thou art right," he said. "I shall at least keep mine own counsel so long as the King doth live; for I have no desire to have my head decorate the walls of the Tower."

"And now, my friend," said I; "there is another matter that I wish to speak with thee about." Then I told him of my tilt of the tongue with Catesby, and asked him to arrange matters so that we might have a meeting at his earliest convenience.

"I do not like to see thee fight him," said Sir Frederick, when I had finished the asking of my request; "for he is a friend of my Lord Hastings, and though I detest the fellow, yet do I treat him with civility on the Chancellor's account. However, Walter, after what has passed, there is nothing left but the swords; at which game methinks that thou hast little to fear from any man in England."

"Thou art wrong there, my friend, for this Catesby is the pupil of a great French swordsman, and there are few in England which dare to stand before him. However," I continued, with some pride, "it shall never be said of a Bradley that he quietly did rest with an insult still hanging to his cheek, and never burning it."

"Well, thou shalt have fair play at least," said my friend, "and though he may have studied the art of swordsmanship with a score of Frenchmen, yet have I no doubt as to the result. I have seen thee use the foils enough to feel satisfied that Catesby shall have no advantage over thee; and besides, he hath not more than half thy strength."

"Yea, that is true."

"But no matter how thou mayst feel towards him be sure and do not kill him; for he stands in great favour with Gloucester, whom we cannot now afford to offend. Run him through the arm or shoulder and thine honour will be satisfied."

I knew my friend was talking thus in order that he might lend mine arm more confidence. But this was not necessary; for even though Catesby were a skilled swordsman, yet did I account myself his match at the game, and besides it was true what Harleston said, I had more strength, which is not the least thing to be taken into account in these affairs.

Early the next day Sir Frederick saw Catesby and gave him my challenge.

"And so," said the lawyer, "your friend grows tired of this life and desires to join the saints?"

"Indeed, sir," my friend replied, "the chances of your going to another world are equally good; though whether thy companions there will be saints or no, I cannot tell."

To this retort Catesby made no reply.

The place and time of our meeting were settled. At sundown that evening we were to meet near the far end of the Little Park, where a large oak doth stand alone. This time and place were decided on in order to make certain that we should not be interrupted; for this spot was never frequented at that hour.

That evening, at about the half of an hour before the appointed time I, accompanied by Harleston, set out by a round about way, so that when Catesby and his second should go to the meeting place no one Would suspect our object. They, however, having taken the more direct and therefore shorter path, had reached the spot and were waiting when we arrived.

Sir Richard Ratcliffe was to act as Catesby's second.

The spot chosen was one which seemed made by nature purposely for such contests. For the distance of about a score of feet all around the great oak—which arose in the centre like an ever watchful sentinel guarding that portion of the park—the ground was clear and level as a round green table. As I looked up at that fine old veteran which had braved the storms of centuries, and still showed no other signs of its contests than his battle scarred old features, methought of the many engagements he had watched, and the tales of bloodshed he might tell if he but could.

The sun was no longer shining where we stood, but the top of the great tree still caught his last gleams as he sank below the horizon. As the last of these rays left the old oak our time was up, so we began to strip for the encounter. We took off our cloaks, belts and doublets, and gave them unto our seconds, who laid them in two heaps, one on each side of the open space. I rolled up my right sleeve to the shoulder, and Harleston handed unto me my naked sword. My friend and Ratcliffe spoke together in whispers, for a moment, and then the latter, standing with his back to the tree, said in a loud clear voice:—

"Gentlemen:—Sir Frederick Harleston and I have agreed, in your behalf, in case either of you should be disarmed, or placed in a position where it should be impossible for you to defend yourself, the fight shall be stopped until such time as ye shall again be upon an equal footing. Both Sir Frederick and I do insist that this rule shall be observed, otherwise we do refuse to act. Should either of you take advantage of your opponent's being unarmed or placed hors de combat, and so take his life, the one so breaking this rule shall be proclaimed a coward throughout the length and breadth of England. This shall be his punishment for his unknightly conduct. Have I made all perfectly clear?"

We both replied in the affirmative, and agreed to be bound by this rule, which was a very humane and fair one.

Ratcliffe then took his place behind Catesby, and Harleston behind me.

The signal was then given, and we approached each other cautiously, each looking for an opening. Then our swords came together with a sharp click, and slid along each other like two icicles being rubbed together. The moment I felt his sword against mine I knew that I had not been misinformed when I heard that Catesby was a pupil of one of the greatest swordsmen in Europe. His wrist was like steel, and his point began to play on either side of mine with such rapidity as warned me to stand on the defensive until I got more used to his ways. Suddenly he lunged with murderous and savage swiftness, his point aimed at my heart. I met him with a quick and firm guard, and for the next few moments we did content ourselves with sounding each other with an occasional lunge. Then he changed his tactics, in the twinkling of an eye, and flew at me like lightning. His sword seemed everywhere at once. I felt a sharp sting in my sword arm, as his weapon scratched it. Then I felt it higher up and near unto my shoulder. I slowly began to give ground, as it had been the part of a fool to stand still in an attack of this kind, which I knew could be of no long duration. In this I was right; for seeing that he could not reach my chest, and that he was soon wearing himself out with this furious pace, he slowed his attack somewhat and made more careful lunges. I now saw that I could, in a short time, wear down his strength, by keeping a cool head and a wary eye. Soon I touched him lightly on the shoulder, and had the satisfaction of seeing his shirt stained with his blood. This, however, seemed to refresh him; for he made another of his fierce attacks, which again compelled me to give ground. In this I did not divine his object, which was to force me back against the tree. As I stepped back to avoid a lunge more savage than the others, I felt my heel strike the tree. This put me something off my guard. He seized the opportunity, and drove his sword at my chest with all the remaining strength in his villainous body. I stepped aside, and gave him my straight point in the right shoulder, near the neck. However, I had not been quick enough; for I felt a sharp twinge in the fleshy part of my left arm, as he nailed it to the oak. His sword snapped off short, and I was left pinned to the tree, as I have seen boys do with butterflies. Catesby fell, bathed in blood; but methinks it were more from exhaustion than from his wound that he did fall; for the latter was but little more serious than mine own. Sir Frederick pulled at the blade with his handkerchief wound around his hand, and at length set me free. Catesby soon regained consciousness, and we were bandaged carefully with cloths that had been brought for the purpose.

"The signal was then given."

As I saw him walk off, leaning on the arm of Ratcliffe, I regretted that I had not given him my point lower down.

But there came a time when I would have given ten years of my life for the same opportunity of ridding the world of this accursed villain. But ye, my children, shall judge of that later on in this story.