"Martain Rattler" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ballantyne R.M)

"So I will," cried Bob Croaker, glaring round with passion. "Come on, any of you
that likes. I don't care a button for the biggest of you."
No one accepted this challenge, for Bob was the oldest and the strongest boy in
the school, although, as is usually the case with bullies, by no means the
bravest.
Seeing that no one intended to fight with him, and that a crowd of boys strove
to hold Martin Rattler back, while they assured him that he had not the smallest
chance in the world, Bob turned towards the kitten, which was quietly and busily
employed in licking itself dry, and said, "Now, Martin, you coward, I'll give it
another swim for your impudence."
Stop, stop ! " cried Martin earnestly, "Bob Croaker, I would rather do anything
than fight. I would give you everything I have to save my kitten; but if you
won't spare it unless I fight, I'll do it. If you throw it in before you fight
me, you're the greatest coward that ever walked. Just give me five minutes to
breathe, and a drink of water, and I'll fight you as long as I can stand."
Bob looked at his little foe in surprise. "Well, that's fair. I'm your man; but
if you don't lick me, I'll drown the kitten, that's all." having said this, he
quietly divested himself of his jacket and neckcloth, while several boys
assisted Martin to do the same, and brought him a draught of water in the crown
of one of their caps. In five minutes all was ready, and the two boys stood face
to face and foot to foot, with their fists doubled, and revolving, and a ring of
boys around them.
Just at this critical moment the kitten, having found the process of licking
itself dry more fatiguing than it had expected, gave vent to a faint mew of
distress. It was all that was wanting to set Martin's indignant heart into a
blaze of inexpressible fury. Bob Croaker's visage instantly received a shower of
sharp, stinging blows that had the double effect of taking that youth by
surprise and throwing him down upon the green sward. But Martin could not hope
to do this a second time. Bob now knew the vigour of his assailant, and braced
himself warily to the combat, commencing operations by giving Martin a
tremendous blow on the point of the nose, and another on the chest. These had
the effect of tempering Martin's rage with a salutary degree of caution, and of
eliciting from the spectators sundry cries of warning on the one hand, and
admiration on the other, while the young champions revolved warily round each
other, and panted vehemently.
The battle that was fought tat day was one in a thousand. It created as great a
sensation in the village school as did the battle of Waterloo in England. It was
a notable fight, such as had not taken place within the memory of the oldest boy
in the village, and from which, in after-years, events of juvenile history were
dated - especially pugilistic events, of which, when a good one came off, it
used to be said that "such a battle had not taken place since the year of the
Great Fight." Bob Croaker was a noted fighter. Martin Rattler was, up to this
date, an untried hero. Although fond of rough play and boisterous mischief, he
had an unconquerable aversion to earnest fighting, and very rarely indeed
returned home with a black eye-much to the satisfaction of Aunt Dorothy Grumbit,
who objected to all fighting from principle, and frequently asserted, in gentle
tones, that there should be no soldiers or sailors (fighting sailors, she meant)
at all, but that people ought all to settle everything the best way they could
without fighting, and live peaceably with one another, as the Bible told them to
do. They would be far happier and better off; she was sure of that; and if