saw that scaith was to come of it; and that I would be
wanting in my duty on four heads,--first, as a Christian; second, as a
man; third, as a subject; and fourth, as a father; if I withheld myself
from the scene; nor lifted up my voice, however fruitlessly, against such
crying iniquity as the wanton letting out of human blood; so forth I
hastened, half dressed, with my grey stockings rolled up my thighs over
my corduroys, and my old hat above my cowl, to the kail-yard of
contention.

I was just in the nick of time; and my presence checked the effusion of
blood for a little--but wait a wee. So high and furious were at least
three of the party, that I saw it was catching water in a sieve to waste
words on them, knowing as clearly as the sun serves the world, that
interceding would be of no avail. Howsoever, I made a feint, and
threatened to bowl away for a magistrate, if they would not desist from
their barbarous and bloody purpose; but, i'fegs, I had better kept my
counsel till it was asked for.

"Tailor Mansie," blustered out Maister Thomas Blister with a furious cock
of his eye--he was a queer Eirish birkie, come over for his
education--"since ye have ventured to thrust your nose, ma vourneen,"
said he, "where nobody invited ye, you must just stay," added he, "and
abide by the consequences. This is an affair of honour, you take, don't
ye? and if ye venture to stir one foot from the spot, och then, ma
bouchal," said he, "by the poker of St Patrick, but whisk through ye goes
one of these leaden playthings, as sure as ye ever spoiled a coat, or
cabbaged broadcloth! Ye have now come out, ye observe,--hark ye," said
he, "and are art and part in the business; and if one, or both, of the
principals be killed, poor devils," said he, "we are all alike liable to
take our trial before the Justiciary Court, hark ye; and by the powers,"
said he, "I doubt not but, on proper consideration, machree, that they
will allow us to get off mercifully, on this side of swinging, by a
verdict of manslaughter--and be hanged to them!"

'Od, I found myself immediately in a scrape; but how to get out of it
baffled my gumption. It set me all a shivering; yet I thought that, come
the worst when it should, they surely would not hang the father of a
helpless small family, that had nothing but his needle for their support,
if I made a proper affidavy, about having tried to make peace between the
youths. So, conscience being a brave supporter,