“I was surprised at the coolness of both men; for Grimes was by no means inflated with the boisterous triumph of his party—­nor did Denis get into a blind rage on being knocked down.  They approached again, their eyes kindled into savage fury, tamed down into the wariness of experienced combatants; for a short time they stood eyeing each other, as if calculating upon the contingent advantages of attack or defence.  This was a moment of great interest; for, as their huge and powerful frames stood out in opposition, strung and dilated by the impulse of passion and the energy of contest, no judgment, however experienced, could venture to anticipate the result of the battle, or name the person likely to be victorious.  Indeed it was surprising how the natural sagacity of these men threw their attitudes and movements into scientific form and symmetry.  Kelly raised his cudgel, and placed it transversely in the air, between himself and his opponent; Grimes instantly placed his against it—­both weapons thus forming a St. Andrew’s cross—­whilst the men themselves stood foot to foot, calm and collected.  Nothing could be finer than their proportions, nor superior to their respective attitudes; their broad chests were in a line; their thick, well-set necks laid a little back, as were their bodies, without, however, losing their balance; and their fierce but calm features, grimly but placidly scowling at each other, like men who were prepared for the onset.

“At length Kelly made an attempt to repeat his former feint, with variations; for whereas he had sent the first blow to Grimes’s right temple, he took measures now to reach the left; his action was rapid, but equally quick was the eye of his antagonist, whose cudgel was up in ready guard to meet the blow.  It met it; and with such surprising power was it sent and opposed, that both cudgels, on meeting, bent across each other into curves.  An involuntary huzza followed this from their respective parties—­not so much on account of the skill displayed by the combatants as in admiration of their cudgels, and of the judgment with which they must have been selected.  In fact, it was the staves, rather than the men, that were praised; and certainly the former did their duty.  In a moment their shillelaghs were across each other once more, and the men resumed their former attitudes; their savage determination, their kindled eyes, the blood which disfigured the face of Grimes, and begrimed also the countenance of his antagonist into a deeper expression of ferocity, occasioned many a cowardly heart to shrink from the sight.  There they stood, gory and stern, ready for the next onset; it was first made by Grimes, who tried to practise on Kelly the feint which Kelly had before practised on him.  Denis, after his usual manner, caught the blow in his open hand, and clutched the staff, with an intention of holding it until he might visit Grimes, now apparently unguarded, with a levelling blow; but Grimes’s