NO MAN'S LAND. 219 



as the meaning of these words entered his thicic head, 



he roared out, " The wuss fur me ? I'll " 



What he was going to do was never heard, for, 

 as he made a fierce rush, the " head un " met him, 

 and with his " gal's hands " caught him fair by the 

 throat. The great hulk staggered, and before he 

 could recover himself, or knew what had befallen 

 him, he had received a couple of blows, which sent 

 him down like a log against the opposite wall. 



It was some seconds before he could recover breath. 

 Then he groaned out, " Massy, oh ! alive ! where 

 be I .' " 



" You are on the floor just now, my friend," replied 

 the man whose hands he was going to crush like cider 

 apples. " If you will get up, you and I will transact 

 a little business together." 



The bully fairly whimpered in his drunken panic. 

 " I ain't a-goin' tu be hit like this,'' cried he. 

 " What ! you won't fight, you cur t " 

 " No, I wunt." 



Seizing him again his conqueror cuffed him right 

 and left, open-handed. So pitiful were his yells, that 

 the landlady and her daughters came running in, 

 and begged that he might be let go ; so he was de- 



