>Peek discusses his capture, but it was when he was dragged into the town of Xerez before his Spanish noble captors that his famous exploits occurred. During the course of an open interrogation, a bystander comments that Englishmen are hens; Peeke replies that if the English are hens, then the Spanish are chickens. Peeke is then offered a duel with a Spaniard at rapier and dagger>After that display, he is asked if he dares fight another. Upon being pushed to bout, he acknowledges that he shall fight all comers if allowed the use of a quarterstaff.>Ever practical in the 17th century, a Spaniard removed the screw holding the head on a halberd and Peeke was armed with the substitute.>A first Spaniard steps up for the challenge, says Peeke, “then a second, armed as before, presents himself. I demanded, ‘If there would come no more?’ The Dukes asked, ‘How many I desired?’ I told them, ‘Any number under six.’”>After some brief exchanges, Peeke landed a blow to the head of one of the swordsmen with the metal butt end of his staff. The cover of his book shows the status at that point, with the fallen swordsman at bottom right, and Peeke at center facing the two remaining Spaniards with rapier and daggers.>Peeke made short work of the remaining two swordsmen: “within a few bouts after, to disarm the other two; causing the one of them to fly into the army of soldiers then present, and the other for refuge fled behind the bench” and awaited his fate from the nobles.>Rather than being killed, Peeke was rewarded for his bravery, being freed and eventually presented to the king.I can't believe quarterstaff CHADS humiliated us like this! It's just a fucking STICK!!
