FIGHT 181 



since been judiciously altered, we came in contact with 

 a brewer's waggon. In consequence we were grossly 

 insulted by the driyer, who threatened to lay his whip 

 about us, making use of the most abusive language ; and 

 on expostulating with him, he challenged to fight either 

 one or both of us. My friend, first casting an eye on 

 him, gaye me the reins, and, taking ofi" his coat, jumped, 

 out of the yehicle and went up to the fellow. 



My friend was a fine tall athletic man, as I haye else- 

 where said, and fit, in a military point of yiew, to be the 

 right-hand man of ten thousand ; but the waggoner 

 overtopped him by an inch or more, and Avas stout in 

 proportion. As he pulled his smock frock over his head, 

 and they put themselves in attitude, I could not help 

 applying, or perhaps misapplying, the words of the 

 ]\Iantuan bard — " Fortemqiie Gyamfortemque CJoanthum" 

 It did not take me lono; to be satisfied that my friend had 

 far the best of it in science, distinctly visible by the not 

 very gentle tajos he repeatedly administered to the 

 astonished index of his opponent's countenance. ^His 

 choler rising with such unpleasant admonitions, he 

 doubled himself up. and with his head down, to avoid, 

 as he thought, any more of such unwelcome communica- 

 tions to his visual or nasal oro-ans, went at his adversary 

 with the force and ras'e of a bull. My friend, meetino; 

 him as he was coming in, gave him a chuck under the 

 chin with his left hand that sent his head up, and the 

 sound of the vibration of his jaws was instantaneous, 

 with a blow from the shoulder with his right, that, like 

 the kick of a horse, caused him, like Eryx of old, to 

 measure his length on the green sward, where he lay 



