I'll
see you and yours in my power yet."

"You're too ready wid your whip, Mr. Purcel," said several voices from
among the crowd; "and you do think it's dogs you have to dale wid, as
Mr. English says."

"No," said Purcel, with scom; "I deny it; my whip is never raised unless
to the shoulders of some slavish, lying, and dishonest scoundrel, whom I
prefer to punish rather than to prosecute."

"Take. care it doesn't come aginst you, then, some o' these days," said
a voice.

"Ay," added another, "or some o' these nights!"

"Ah, you ungrateful and cowardly crew," he replied, "who have not one
drop of manly blood in your veins, I despise you. Like all thorough
cowards, you are equally slavish and treacherous. Kindness is thrown
away upon you, generosity you cannot understand, for open fight or open
resentment you have neither heart nor courage--but give you the hour of
midnight, and your unsuspecting victim asleep--or place you behind the
shelter of a hedge, where your cowardly person is safe and invisible,
with a musket or blunderbuss in your hands, and a man before whom you
have crawled in the morning like reptiles, you will not scruple to
assassinate that night. Curse upon you! you are a disgrace to any
Christian country, and I despise, I say, and defy you. As for you,
Buck English, avoid my path, and cross neither me nor any member of my
family."

"Alick Purcel," said English, "mark my words--I'll put my thumb upon
you and yours yet. I say, mark them; for the day will come when you will
remember them to your cost."

Purcel gave him a stern look, and merely said--"I'm prepared for you;"
after which he and his brother John mounted their horses and dashed off
at a rapid pace towards their father's house, followed by the groans
and hootings of the people--far above all whose voices was heard that of
Buck English, in loud and contemptuous tones.

On relating the occurrence at home, the father, as was his custom, only
laughed at it.

"Pooh, Alick," said he, "what does it signify? Have we not been annoyed
for years by these senseless broils and empty threats? Don't think of
them."

"I, father!" replied his son; "do you imagine that I ever bestow a
second thought upon them? Not I, I assure you. However, there is one
thing would most unquestionably gratify me, and that is, an opportunity
of cudgelling Buck English; because, upon second consideration,
horse-whipping would be much too gentlemanly a style of chastiseme