n the ground, it's a
mere piece of impudence to talk about it. That's neither for me nor you
to choose. If ever I get straight "No" I'll go, but I'll have it before
I go, for that's a man's bounden duty to himself.'

'Understand thyself as bein' warned away,' said Thistlewood.

'Understand thy warning as being laughed at,' answered Lane. 'You talk
plain English? So will I. You've got the wrong pig by the ear. You're
no better than a dog in the manger. You've always been spoken of up till
now as a man to play fair, but now it strikes me you play very far from
fair, and cut a poor figure. As for threats--a man who won't take a
hiding when it's offered to him--what's _he_ good for, I should like to
know?'

Here, as elsewhere, Mr. Protheroe was true to nature, and spoke with
striking emphasis. He was quite red-hot with scorn at the imaginary
fellow who would not take the proffered hiding, though a minute earlier,
when he had told Thistlewood that he had the wrong pig by the ear, his
manner had been marked by a cold and lofty superiority.

'Beest warned! 'said Thistlewood, 'that's enough.'

'Not half enough, nor yet a quarter,' cried Lane, with a bellicose air,
not unmixed with swagger. 'I've taught my hands to take care of my head,
sir, and they'll be ready to do it whenever the time occurs. But it
always seemed a bit ridiculous to me to talk about fighting beforehand
When the fight's over there _is_ something to talk about.'

'You seem to be in a hurry for that there hiding,' said Thistlewood.

'Hurry's no word for it,' the younger man responded, with cheerful
alacrity.

'Very well,' said the elder, taking off his hat and bestowing it
carefully upon the grass, 'sha'st have it.'

Lane, for his part, threw down his hat, flourished his coat off, dropped
it behind him, rolled up his sleeves, and waited whilst Thistlewood made
his preparations more slowly. Protheroe set that mellow whistle of his
to work on 'The British Grenadiers,' and his enemy smiled grimly to
think how soon he would silence the music.

Half a minute later they were standing foot to foot and eye to eye,
the music already silenced. It would have been difficult from the mere
aspect of the men to say on which side the advantage lay. In height and
reach they were nearly equal, and, if Thistlewood's weight and muscle
were in his favour, Protheroe was as active as a cat.

And here might have been recorded a bit of history to warm the blood of
such as