One of the British officers, a tall, handsome fellow looking very fine in his scarlet coat with silk braid, collided with Bainbridge in the lobby.
"I beg your pardon," we heard young Bainbridge say. The lads had been warned by the captain to avoid quarrels and Bainbridge, we could see, was trying to obey the command.
"That fellow pushed Joe on purpose," said Reuben, clenching his huge fist. "I've heard of that pusher—he's Captain Tyler, the Governor's secretary, a bad man in a duel. He has a dozen deaths to his credit, and is itching to add an American life to his score!"
When the performance was over—the singer Carlotta had entertained us well—we went out behind the middies, as a sort of rear-guard. We weren't looking for trouble, but if those lads got into a tussle, we felt that they might need aid from some plain sailors.
Captain Tyrone Tyler was standing where Bainbridge and his comrades had to pass. He gave young Bainbridge a dig with his elbow, whereupon our middy turned and spoke to him sharply. Tyler then jammed his elbow into the middy's face, and with his other hand tried to seize our lad by the collar.
"Rough work—stand by!" said Reuben to us. We pushed forward.
Bainbridge, however, had eluded Tyler's grasp.
His hand went out towards his tormentor, but it had a card in it.
"You are a bully and a coward," he said as cool as ice, "and I welcome the duty of putting a stop to your insults to American officers."