118 A SINGLE COMBAT. 



mountain on the chest of her bulkier foe ; but dearly does she 

 pay for her temerity. Caught in the grasp of the Amazonian 

 Ajax, she is crushed, and falls strangled to the earth. She 

 falls but let not her conqueror exult a sister heroine, no 

 bigger than herself, and like herself, carrying in a little body 

 a mighty m'ind, beholds and vows to avenge her fate. She 

 too springs upon the Eufian, but with more effective grasp, 

 her powerful jaws enclosing, as in a vice, one limb of her 

 athletic antagonist. The Rufian severs in twain the body of 

 her assailant ; its lower half falls and is trampled in the dust ; 

 but (horrible to see !) the upper portion still retains its hold, 

 supported by the jaws which death has double-locked. The 

 fixed eyes continue to look up angrily into the living face, the 

 rigid arms to encircle the warm body of the wounded Rufian. 

 Yainly she strives to shake off the hideous burthen : like the 

 old Man of the Mountain, it will not be dislodged ; and though 

 the Amazon of Rufia left that battle-field, yet 



" ever more 



The lady wore," 



carried, perforce, about her, the slaughtered Fuscan's head 

 and shoulders, frightful trophy of her dear-bought victory ! 



But how goes the day ? How flows the tide of battle ? "Will 

 Rufia or will Fusca, will might or right prevail ? Shall the 

 infant Fuscan females grow up to be maids of all-work at 

 home, or slaves of all-work in a foreign land ? 



They run ! they run ! Who run ? inquires the eager but 



