effort to wrest the cudgel from his grasp, drew all Kelly’s strength to that quarter, and prevented him from availing himself of the other’s defenceless attitude.  A trial of muscular power ensued, and their enormous bodily strength was exhibited in the stiff tug for victory.  Kelly’s address prevailed; for while Grimes pulled against him with all his collected vigor, the former suddenly let go his hold, and the latter, having lost his balance, staggered back; lightning could not be more quick than the action of Kelly, as, with tremendous force, his cudgel rung on the unprotected head of Grimes, who fell, or rather was shot to the ground, as if some superior power had clashed him against it; and there he lay for a short time, quivering under the blow he had received.

“A peal of triumph now arose from Kelly’s party; but Kelly himself, placing his arms a-kimbo, stood calmly over his enemy, awaiting his return to the conflict.  For nearly five minutes he stood in this attitude, during which time Grimes did not stir; at length Kelly stooped a little, and peering closely into his face, exclaimed—­

“’Why, then, is it acting you are?—­any how, I wouldn’t put it past you, you cunning vagabone; ’tis lying to take breath he is—­get up, man, I’d scorn to touch you till you’re on your legs; not all as one, for sure it’s yourself would show me no such forbearance.  Up with you, man alive, I’ve none of your thrachery in me.  I’ll not rise my cudgel till you’re on your guard.’

“There was an expression of disdain, mingled with a glow of honest, manly generosity on his countenance, as he spoke, which made him at once the favorite with such spectators as were not connected with either of the parties.  Grimes arose, and it was evident that Kelly’s generosity deepened his resentment more than the blow which had sent him so rapidly to the ground; however, he was still cool, but his brows knit, his eye flashed with double fierceness, and his complexion settled into a dark blue shade, which gave to his whole visage an expression fearfully ferocious.  Kelly hailed this as the first appearance of passion; his brow expanded as the other approached, and a dash of confidence, if not of triumph, softened in some degree the sternness of his features.

“With caution they encountered again each collected for a spring, their eyes gleaming at each other like those of tigers.  Grimes made a motion as if he would have struck Kelly with his fist; and, as the latter threw up his guard against the blow, he received a stroke from Grimes’s cudgel in the under part of the right arm.  This had been directed at his elbow, with an intention of rendering the arm powerless:  it fell short, however, yet was sufficient to relax the grasp which Kelly had of his weapon.  Had Kelly been a novice, this stratagem alone would have soon vanquished him; his address, however, was fully equal to that of his antagonist.  The staff dropped instantly from his grasp, but a stout thong of black polished leather, with a shining tassel at the end of it, had bound it securely to his massive wrist; the cudgel, therefore, only dangled from his arm, and did not, as the other expected, fall to the ground, or put Denis to the necessity of stooping for it—­Grimes’s object being to have struck him in that attitude.