The Adventures of Roderick Random

The Fight with the Blacksmith

The blacksmith refuses Strap’s monetary offer, declaring he will fight him “for love.” A crowd quickly gathers around them. Strap removes his outer clothes for safekeeping and attacks with great violence, quickly exhausting himself. The blacksmith withstands the assault calmly before counterattacking with such force that Strap suffers three falls on the hard pavement and concedes defeat. After the victory, the blacksmith suggests they share drinks, but Strap discovers his shirt, neckcloth, hat, and wig have been stolen by onlookers during the fight. He escapes with great difficulty, bloodied and filthy, to find the narrator.

Strap’s Return

Strap appears before the narrator covered in blood and dirt, having lost his possessions to thieves who took advantage of the fight’s distraction. His joy at finding the narrator safe overwhelms any concern for his misfortune, and he nearly suffocates him with embraces. After cleaning up and borrowing one of the narrator’s shirts and a woollen nightcap, Strap listens to the narrator’s account of the previous night’s adventures with amazement. The two share a meager meal of milk and bread, and Strap divides his remaining eighteen-pence with the narrator before leaving to borrow a wig and hat from his friend the schoolmaster.

Resolution to Enlist

Alone after Strap departs, the narrator reflects painfully on his dependence on the poor barber’s boy. His pride stings him as he reviews possible schemes for self-support. With no hope of succeeding at the Navy Office, he resolves to enlist in the foot-guards the following day, whatever the consequences. The imagined glory of military service pleases him, and he fancies himself charging at the enemy at the head of his regiment, until Strap’s return interrupts these martial fantasies.