ing, ready then to give him
another blow. The coolness and generalship of Kelly, however, were here
very remarkable; for, when he was just getting to his feet, 'Look at
your party coming down upon me!' he exclaimed to Grimes, who turned
round to order them back, and, in the interim, Kelly was upon his legs.

"I was surprised at the coolness of both men; for Grimes was by no means
inflated with the boisterous triumph of his party--nor did Denis get
into a blind rage on being knocked down. They approached again,
their eyes kindled into savage fury, tamed down into the wariness of
experienced combatants; for a short time they stood eyeing each other,
as if calculating upon the contingent advantages of attack or defence.
This was a moment of great interest; for, as their huge and powerful
frames stood out in opposition, strung and dilated by the impulse of
passion and the energy of contest, no judgment, however experienced,
could venture to anticipate the result of the battle, or name the
person likely to be victorious. Indeed it was surprising how the
natural sagacity of these men threw their attitudes and movements into
scientific form and symmetry. Kelly raised his cudgel, and placed
it transversely in the air, between himself and his opponent; Grimes
instantly placed his against it--both weapons thus forming a St.
Andrew's cross--whilst the men themselves stood foot to foot, calm and
collected. Nothing could be finer than their proportions, nor superior
to their respective attitudes; their broad chests were in a line; their
thick, well-set necks laid a little back, as were their bodies, without,
however, losing their balance; and their fierce but calm features,
grimly but placidly scowling at each other, like men who were prepared
for the onset.

"At length Kelly made an attempt to repeat his former feint, with
variations; for whereas he had sent the first blow to Grimes's right
temple, he took measures now to reach the left; his action was rapid,
but equally quick was the eye of his antagonist, whose cudgel was up in
ready guard to meet the blow. It met it; and with such surprising power
was it sent and opposed, that both cudgels, on meeting, bent across
each other into curves. An involuntary huzza followed this from their
respective parties--not so much on account of the skill displayed by the
combatants as in admiration of their cudgels, and of the judgment with
which they must have been selected. In fact, it was th