Murden spoke like one accustomed to be obeyed. The driver of the carriage, who hardly moved two steps without keeping his eyes on the dog—the animal appearing to have some strong antipathy against him—readily lent his aid, and with Smith's assistance the wounded lieutenant was propped up on a seat, and the doctor stowed his corpulent person alongside of him.
"Why did you not tell me of this yesterday?" asked Murden, beckoning to me, and whispering in a low tone.
"Because we were fearful that you would interrupt the proceedings," I replied.
"I certainly should have done so. Are you aware that Wattles is a most experienced and successful duellist? That he has been out half a dozen times, and always came off without so much as a scratch?"
"No, I was not aware that such is the case," I answered.
"He is all that I tell you, and if I had suspected that a duel was to come off between Fred and the soldier, I should have had both of them arrested and locked up, and kept them until they were ready to swear that they would not lift their hands against each other."
"And then Fred and myself would have been imputed as informers, and a stain would have rested on our reputations, and we should no longer have been considered fit company for gentlemen." "That does not necessarily follow," answered Murden. "No one who knows you both can call you aught but brave men."
"But did we not dine with you after we had received the challenge? We made no secret of our going—hundreds saw us enter your house, and hundreds saw us depart. Had we but lisped a word of our intended doings, it would have been said that we visited you on purpose. Come, look at the matter in a sensible light, and you will take a different view of the affair."
Murden shook his head as if he considered it not only a breach of the law but a breach of friendship to fight a duel without his knowledge; and he intended to reply, but the doctor poked his jolly looking face from the window of the carriage, and bade us good-by, and requested the pleasure of our company to dinner on the next day.
"And do you come too, Murden. I've a few bottles of the rale Irish whiskey, and better cannot be found in the world, and if ye come I'll brew a jug of punch that'll make ye think ye are in paradise after drinking a few tumblers. Good-by, boys, and, Murden, keep a sharp look out for the bushrangers."