id not like his blows at all, or
even the wind of them, which was anything but agreeable, and I gave way
before him. At last he aimed a blow, which, had it taken full effect,
would doubtless have ended the battle, but owing to his slipping, the
fist only grazed my left shoulder, and came with terrific force against a
tree, close to which I had been driven; before the Tinman could recover
himself, I collected all my strength, and struck him beneath the ear, and
then fell to the ground completely exhausted, and it so happened that the
blow which I struck the Tinker beneath the ear was a right-handed blow.

"Hurrah for Long Melford!" I heard Belle exclaim; "there is nothing like
Long Melford for shortness all the world over."

At these words, I turned round my head as I lay, and perceived the
Flaming Tinman stretched upon the ground apparently senseless. "He is
dead," said the vulgar woman, as she vainly endeavoured to raise him up;
"he is dead; the best man in all the north country, killed in this
fashion, by a boy." Alarmed at these words, I made shift to get on my
feet; and, with the assistance of the woman, placed my fallen adversary
in a sitting posture. I put my hand to his heart, and felt a slight
pulsation--"He's not dead," said I, "only stunned; if he were let blood,
he would recover presently." I produced a penknife which I had in my
pocket, and, baring the arm of the Tinman, was about to make the
necessary incision, when the woman gave me a violent blow, and, pushing
me aside, exclaimed, "I'll tear the eyes out of your head, if you offer
to touch him. Do you want to complete your work, and murder him
outright, now he's asleep? you have had enough of his blood already."
"You are mad," said I, "I only seek to do him service. Well, if you
won't let him be blooded, fetch some water and fling it into his face,
you know where the pit is."

"A pretty manoeuvre," said the woman; "leave my husband in the hands of
you and that limmer, who has never been true to us; I should find him
strangled or his throat cut when I came back." "Do you go," said I, to
the tall girl, "take the can and fetch some water from the pit." "You
had better go yourself," said the girl, wiping a tear as she looked on
the yet senseless form of the tinker; "you had better go yourself, if you
think water will do him good." I had by this time somewhat recovered my
exhausted powers, and, taking the can, I bent my steps as fast as I could
to