ard, had hit Flanger in the nose with his revolver.

The ruffian had sworn to be revenged at the time, and he seemed to have
chosen the present occasion to wreak his vengeance upon the destroyer of
his nasal member. The blow his victim had struck was a set-back to him;
but he presently recovered the balance of his head which the shock had
upset. It was plain enough that he had not given up the battle, for he
had drawn back with the evident intention of using his clinched fists
upon his adversary.

"Hit him again, Flanger!" shouted one of the brutal occupants of the
saloon, who now filled the doorway.

The affair was rapidly becoming serious, and Christy was debating with
himself whether or not he should draw a revolver he carried in his
pocket; but he was cool enough to realize that he was on neutral ground,
and that it would be very imprudent to be the first to resort to deadly
weapons. He could not run away, for his self-respect would not permit
him to do so. He braced himself up to meet the onslaught of the ruffian.

Flanger charged upon him, and attempted to plant a blow with his fist in
the face of his intended victim; but the young officer parried it, and
was about to follow up the movement with a blow, when Monsieur Rubempre
rushed in between them, struck the assailant such a blow that he went
over backwards. In fact, the man was too much intoxicated to stand
without considerable difficulty.

At this moment a couple of colored policemen rushed in between the
combatants. The tipplers in the saloon picked up their comrade, and
stood him on his feet. The Nassau officers doubtless had a great deal of
this sort of quarrelling, for drinking strong liquors was the principal
occupation of the officers and crews of the blockade-runners while in
port and on shore.

"What is all this about? Who began this quarrel?" demanded one of them,
as he looked from one party to the other in the battle.

"I was passing the door of this saloon, and did not even look into it,
when that man rushed upon me, and seized me by the collar," replied
Christy. "I tried to shake him off, but I could not, and then I struck
him in the side of the head."

"Look here, you nigger!" shouted Captain Flanger. "It's none of your
business who began it."

"I shall arrest you for a breach of the peace," said the policeman.

"I don't reckon you will. Do you see my nose? Look at it! Don't you see
that it is knocked into a cocked hat?" said Flanger fi