i8 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



nursed ragamuffins, a specimen of whom about one parish 

 in every six affords, unmercifully beating a defenceless 

 orphan not much more than half his own size. The 

 chivalrous spirit of our hero would not brook this ; so, 

 throwing down his hat, he gave him " a chattering facer," 

 the term, as his preceptor Jem informed him, for a heavy 

 thump on the mouth, and instantly put himself " into 

 attitude." Ragamuffin did the same, when a smart round 

 ensued, rather in his favour ; but the young one was no- 

 wise daunted. The old blood of the Rabys warmed in 

 his young veins at every blow, and he said to himself, 

 " I'll lick this snob, or die." Presently the whole village 

 became alarmed for the safety of Master Francis. Out 

 ran the apothecary from his house, and the mother of one 

 of the Amstead housemaids from hers, both insisting on 

 some of the lookers-on interfering, and putting an end to 

 the fight. It happened, however, that the coachman had 

 walked down to the village with his young master, and 

 he stoutly asserted that Master Francis was "all right. 

 He'll leather two such chaps as that," said coachey, " and 

 I'll go and see fair play." The result was thus : In the 

 fifth round, the young one hit his opponent such a smasher 

 in his teeth, that he turned cur and ran off, amidst the 

 hootings of all present ; thus verifying the maxim, that 

 "thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel just." Even 

 the magpie in the cage chattered, as if exulting to see 

 justice so summarily obtained for a poor orphan lad. 



" Come into my house, Master Francis," said the doctor, 

 "that I may see what injury you have sustained. Here 

 is a blow over the left eye to begin with, and it will be 

 black in a few hours ; what will your mamma say ? ;J 

 "Oh!" said the coachman, "he can tell my lady that 

 Rodney (the pony) threw up his head, and struck him on 

 the face ; she won't know no better." " But your thumb, 

 Master Francis, you have cut it rather deep, by a blow 

 against one of the young rascal's teeth," resumed the 

 doctor. " Oh ! " observed coachey, " that will be soon 

 settled ; he can tell my lady he took a shot at a rook out 

 of Jem Perren's gun, and that it was too high loaded, and 

 hit him a hard blow on his hand. Besides, from what I 

 know of my lady, dash me if I don't think she'd like 

 to know how young master served out that cowardly 

 scoundrel, for she once stopped the carriage on purpose 

 to give the poor orphan he had been beating a shilling, 



