CHAPTER VIII. THE CHESTERFIELDS SURRENDER THEIR BANNERS.
Commodore Mad Twinker did not seem to have much confidence in the position he had taken. He felt that he had been beaten in the argument, but in the face of his crew he could not abandon the ground he had taken. Of course he knew that the Chesterfields had no right to retain the garments they had brought from the shore; but it seemed to be quite impossible to "give in" to the Beech Hill party, and acknowledge that it was wrong to apply epithets to them.
"The Gildrock is coming, Dory," said Life Windham, in a low tone, for the coxswain had not observed the approach of his consort.
Dory cast a glance in the direction from which the other barge was coming. She had apparently just made her way out of Sandy Beach Cove, and the crew were pulling a quick stroke, as though they thought something was the matter with the Winooski. The plucky coxswain was not particularly pleased at the prospect of a re-enforcement; for, though Matt Randolph was a splendid fellow, he feared that he might be more inclined to fight than to compromise.
But if Dory intended to recover the clothing of his crew, the present situation looked more like a fight than a compromise. The Chesterfields refused to admit that the reproachful epithets were insulting, and demanded an apology for his neglect to answer the challenge to race with them. The coxswain, fearful that he might appear to be too stiff, went over the matter again.
"When we came near you we gave you a complimentary salute," added Dory.
"A complimentary salute!" exclaimed Mad Twinker. "When was that, and what was it?"
"We tossed oars."
"Tossed oars? Where did you toss them?" asked the commodore; and it was plain enough now that the Chesterfields did not understand the manœuvre.
"We raised them to a perpendicular; and this is the highest honor one boat can pay to another. We should not have tossed oars to you if we had intended to insult you," replied Dory with spirit.