r, countryman?" said the hussar, peering
into the bold countenance of the hardy peasant.

"'What is the matter?' that girl there is my bride; and I'll soon let
you know what the matter is, if you dare to touch her again!"

"Ah! is that the case? who knows but that she would prefer me, after
all?" replied the hussar, and, leaping over the table, he once more
seized this living organ of sound, who screamed louder than before.

"Storms of Karpath!" shouted Andras, starting up, and kicking the
bench from before him; then dashing his cap on the ground, he began
tucking up the sleeves of his shirt.

"You want to fight, I suppose?" said the hussar, smiling complacently;
"but swords are not made out of scythes, and you had better leave a
hussar alone."

"That I shall not, when he touches my bride, were he a dog-faced
Tartar! I shall beat him not only out of this, but out of the world
too, if he had a thousand souls! I don't care for your sword, Master
Hussar;" and loosing the mantle from his neck, the sturdy peasant
seized the pole he had brought with him, and held it forth with an arm
as knotty as an oak.

"Don't be foolish, now, Andras!" cried the little girl, running over
to the pole-gladiator, and endeavouring to pacify him.

"Keep yourself out of the way, Panna," said Andras; "this is no time
for trifling; I'll show him who is master here!"

"Why now, Andras, if you are determined to fight, I will get a weapon
of your own dimensions," and, laughing gaily, the hussar opened the
door and went into the court.

"Bring what you like, the beam of a mill, or an oak-tree, I don't fear
you, with six others at your back!" cried the athletic labourer,
assuming an offensive and defensive position with his back to the
wall.

"Don't be reckoning on us," said the sergeant; "we have nothing to say
to you--the lad can stand for himself."

"You will probably part company soon," muttered Andras, waiting with
open eyes for the hussar's return.

He appeared at length, with neither a mill-beam nor an oak tree, but a
long, slender reed, which he had pulled out of the roof.

"What! do you dare to make a fool of me?" cried Andras furiously.

"Not I," replied the hussar seriously, and stepping up to him, he
began shaking the reed before his antagonist's face, who tried in vain
to catch it, growing more impatient every instant, as the reed tickled
his nose and mouth, and the gay laugh of the hussar rang in his ears,
till at last, m