fellow
who was showing him no favour, but was pounding away at the upturned
face with one of his fists, whilst with the other hand he held a firm
grip of his prostrate foeman.

"Let him get up, coward!" the lad shouted as he rushed to the spot.
"Let him get up, I tell you, and fight it out fair and square."

The fellow was by no means disposed to give up the advantage he had
obtained, however, and redoubled the vigour of his blows.

He was a strong thickset collier, not an easy man to tackle; but
without more ado George flung himself at the bully, and toppled him
over, the side of his head coming into violent collision with the
rough planks of the landing-stage.

"Up with you, Jack!" George cried, and, seizing the hand of the
prostrate sailor, he jerked him to his feet. Jack, however, was of
little more use when he had been helped up, and staggered about in a
dazed and aimless sort of way. He was, in truth, almost blind, his
eyes scarce visible at all, so severe had been his punishment, while
his face streamed with blood.

Meanwhile his antagonist had jumped to his feet, his face black with
coaldust and distorted with fury.

"Two on ye!" he yelled with an oath, "then I must fend for myself,"
and he seized a broken broom handle that was lying near.

"A game of singlestick is it?" George replied gleefully, as he made a
successful grab at another stick a couple of yards away. It was the
handle of a shovel; there were several broken tools lying about the
quay.

"Come on," said the boy, brandishing his short but heavy weapon, "this
is quite in my line, I can tell you!"

It was a curious sight as the two rushed upon each other, so unequal
did the antagonists seem. Bill, the collier, was tall as well as
strongly built, and in the very prime of life; while George, though a
sturdy lad for his age, was many inches shorter, and appeared at first
sight an absurdly inadequate foeman.

In a moment the sticks were clattering merrily together, the lad
hesitating not a whit, for he felt sure that he was at least a match
for the other. George Fairburn had ever been an adept at all school
games, and had spent many a leisure hour at singlestick. In vain did
Bill endeavour to bring down his stick with furious whack upon the
youngster's scalp; his blow was unfailingly parried. It was soon
evident to the man that the boy was playing with him, and when twice
or thrice he received a rap on his shoulder, his arm, his knuckles
even,