"That's about the kind
of a man I took you to be."
Another boat got away, and the last boat was swung from the davits.
A sailor counted the men who remained and spoke to the captain. The
latter said:
"At best, the boat will not hold them all. There is one too many, at
least. Let the fellow in irons stay behind."
Harris heard this, and fancied his doom was sealed. He began to beg to
be taken along, but one of the men gave him a kick.
The Frenchman turned on Frank.
"Do you hear?" he cried. "One cannot go. Do you make eet ze poor deval
in ze iron? or do you dare fight me to see wheech one of us eet ees? Eef
you make eet ze poor devval, eet show you are ze cowarde. Ha! I theenk
you do not dare to fight!"
He spat toward Merry to express his contempt.
"Let me fight him!" panted Diamond at Frank's elbow.
"See that Harris is put into the boat!" ordered Merriwell. "I fancy I
can take care of this Frenchman. If you do not get Harris into the boat
I swear I will not enter it if I conquer Montfort!"
Then he whirled on the Frenchman.
"I accept your challenge!" he cried in clear tones.
Montfort uttered an exclamation of satisfaction. He flung off his coat,
saying:
"Choose ze weapon, saire."
Frank did not pause to look them over in making a selection. He caught
up one of them and drew it from the scabbard.
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