Such a melo-dramatic action would be a rare spectacle for the gods--in order to appear the more heroic in the sight of this fair girl Jerome might even have magnanimously declined to carry on warfare when the enemy sued for peace--he was a man who never neglected an opportunity to pose as a magnificent figure before feminine eyes. Contrary to his expectation, however, the affair did not take on this guise. Instead of showing the white feather the enemy at once hoisted signals of defiance. He began to coolly and deliberately roll back the sleeves of his flannel shirt. The act was intended for supreme scorn--it meant that he snapped his fingers contemptuously in the face of the Adonis--it meant that he prepared himself in nautical language, to "resist boarders." There was trouble in prospect. Jerome had gone too far to back down--he must either put his words into execution or give evidence of cowardice. The girl, seeing how matters stood, now endeavored to prevent a rupture. "Senor, this is a friend of mine, one I have known a long time. If I choose to receive him on the quarterdeck that is surely an affair to be settled with my uncle and the captain. I will relieve you of any anxiety and responsibility, senor," she said, with pointed emphasis. "Pardon, senorita, but it has already gone too deep to be dropped. There is an issue between this a--humble friend of yours and myself, which can only be settled by an appeal to arms, not to Caesar. Therefore, my fine fellow, look you out, for I intend to toss you down where you belong, since you have positively refused to go there voluntarily when I gave you the chance." He took a step toward Roderic, who calmly awaited for hostilities to begin. There was good reason too why the latter should have become nervous over the matter. It was at this juncture that several violent sneezes were heard ringing over the vessel, and in this signal Roderic recognized a part of Captain Beven's design to warn him that he should only be able to detain the gentlemen a few minutes longer, so that it might be essential for the lover to make his farewells without further loss of time, if so be he had been fortunate enough to find an opportunity to see his charmer. Roderic however, was hardly in a position to carry out this programme. Jerome showed fight, and it was really too much to expect a man of Roderic's character to withdraw in ignominious fashion under the very eyes he adored. Plainly he was in for a miserable struggle. He deplored this on several accounts, since it might jeopardise his mission, and moreover place him in a poor light before Georgia, for what man desires to engage in an ordinary brawl in the presence of the being he adores. There are times however when "needs must when the devil drives," so that it was not a question of choice but necessity with Roderic. About this time the first faint suspicion broke in upon Jerome's mind to the effect that things might be other than they seemed.