nd good turned aside the hostile blade and directed it
to a side-pocket, where reposed an enormous iron tobacco-box,
endowed, like the shield of Achilles, with supernatural powers,
doubtless from bearing the portrait of the blessed St. Nicholas.
Peter Stuyvesant turned like an angry bear upon the foe, and
seizing him, as he fled, by an immeasurable queue, 'Ah, whoreson
caterpillar,' roared he, 'here's what shall make worms' meat of
thee!' so saying he whirled his sword and dealt a blow that would
have decapitated the varlet, but that the pitying steel struck
short and shaved the queue forever from his crown. At this moment
an arquebusier leveled his piece from a neighboring mound, with
deadly aim; but the watchful Minerva, who had just stopped to tie
up her garter, seeing the peril of her favorite hero, sent old
Boreas with his bellows, who, as the match descended to the pan,
gave a blast that blew the priming from the touch-hole.

"Thus waged the fight, when the stout Risingh, surveying the field
from the top of a little ravelin, perceived his troops banged,
beaten, and kicked by the invincible Peter. Drawing his falchion,
and uttering a thousand anathemas, he strode down to the scene of
combat with some such thundering strides as Jupiter is said by
Hesiod to have taken when he strode down the spheres to hurl his
thunder-bolts at the Titans.

"When the rival heroes came face to face, each made a prodigious
start in the style of a veteran stage-champion. Then did they
regard each other for a moment with the bitter aspect of two
furious ram-cats on the point of a clapper-clawing. Then did they
throw themselves into one attitude, then into another, striking
their swords on the ground, first on the right side, then on the
left: at last at it they went with incredible ferocity. Words
cannot tell the prodigies of strength and valor displayed in this
direful encounter,--an encounter compared to which the far-famed
battles of Ajax with Hector, of AEneas with Turnus, Orlando with
Rodomont, Guy of Warwick with Colbrand the Dane, or of that
renowned Welsh knight, Sir Owen of the Mountains, with the giant
Guylon, were all gentle sports and holiday recreations. At length
the valiant Peter, watching his opportunity, aimed a blow enough to
cleave his adver