Let me tell you my story.

It's perfectly true, I give you my word.

So Nevil tries to horse Drew, and Drew proposes to horse Nevil, as at school.

Then Drew offers a compromise.

He would much rather have crawled on, you know, and allowed the shot to pass over his head; but he's a Briton, old Nevil the same; but old Nevil's peculiarity is that, as you are aware, he hates a compromise--won't have it--retro Sathanas! and Drew's proposal to take his arm instead of being carried pickaback disgusts old Nevil.