King, and I for one would suffer myself to be
stayed by nobody. At the same time, I was thinking the matter had lasted
altogether too long, and I determined to bring it to an end at once.

"See here," said I, getting up, for till now I had remained carelessly
seated, "there's only one way to decide a thing like this--only one way
that's right _English_--and that's man to man. Take off your coat, sir,
and these gentlemen shall see fair play."

At this there came a look in his eye that I could not mistake. His
education had been neglected in one essential and eminently British
particular: he could not box. No more could I, you may say; but then I
had the more impudence--and I had made the proposal.

"He says I'm no Englishman, but the proof of the pudding is the eating
of it," I continued. And here I stripped my coat and fell into the
proper attitude, which was just about all I knew of this barbarian art.
"Why, sir, you seem to me to hang back a little," said I. "Come, I'll
meet you; I'll give you an appetiser--though hang me if I can understand
the man that wants any enticement to hold up his hands." I drew a
bank-note out of my fob and tossed it to the landlord. "There are the
stakes," said I. "I'll fight you for first blood, since you seem to make
so much work about it. If you tap my claret first, there are five
guineas for you, and I'll go with you to any squire you choose to
mention. If I tap yours, you'll perhaps let on that I'm the better man,
and allow me to go about my lawful business at my own time and
convenience, by God!--Is that fair, my lads?" says I, appealing to the
company.

"Ay, ay," said the chorus of chawbacons; "he can't say no fairer nor
that, he can't. Take off thy coat, master!"

The limb of the law was now on the wrong side of public opinion, and,
what heartened me to go on, the position was rapidly changing in our
favour. Already the Major was paying his shot to the very indifferent
landlord, and I could see the white face of King at the backdoor, making
signals of haste.

"Oho!" quoth my enemy, "you are as full of doubles as a fox, are you
not? But I see through you; I see through and through you. You would
change the venue, would you?"

"I may be transparent, sir," says I, "but if you'll do me the favour to
stand up, you'll find I can hit damn hard."

"Which is a point, if you will observe, that I had never called in
question," said he. "Why, you ignorant clowns," he proceeded, addres