THE JERSEY COAST. 129 
“Yes,” broke in his brother, who was just re- 
covering from the spell first put upon him by our 
athlete’s continual offers to accommodate him in 
any way he wished. “ Yes, it will be a dear blow 
for you; I saw you strike him.” 
‘“‘ No,” said the lawyer, advancing for the first time 
from behind the blind where hehad been an unmoved 
and impartial umpire of the fray, “ you should not 
say that; your brother certainly struck first ; I saw 
him distinctly.” His manner was solemn, and con- 
vincing, and conclusive, taken in connexion with 
his perfect equanimity during the affair; but, of 
course, he was met by contradiction and protesta- 
tion from the two brothers. This dispute would 
have been endless, but at that moment a fine flock 
of willets was descried advancing towards the 
stools. | 
“Down, down,” every one shouted, and, true to 
the bayman’s instinct, friend and foe crowded down 
on the sand together, waiting breathlessly the arri- 
val of the birds. The latter came up handsomely, 
were received with four barrels, and left several of 
their number as keepsakes or peace-offerings ; for, 
of course, anger was dissipated, and the defeated 
enemy retired amid a few merry suggestions, and 
the excellent advice that they had better not repeat 
their joke. 
Such squabbles—for it can be called nothing 
graver—lower one’s opinion of human kind, and it 
makes one ashamed to think that two men may hug 
and pull one another about, and roll on the sand for 
6%* 
