brom , who had a degree of rough chivalry in his nature , would fain have carried matters to open warfare and have settled their pretensions to the lady , according to the mode of those most concise and simple reasoners , the knights-errant of yore , -- by single combat ; but ichabod was too conscious of the superior might of his adversary to enter the lists against him ; he had overheard a boast of bones , that he would `` double the schoolmaster up , and lay him on a shelf of his own schoolhouse ; '' and he was too wary to give him an opportunity .