o violent contact with
the door.

"Well done!" shouted the men; "bravo, Baptiste! _Regardez le nez, mes
enfants_!"

"Hold!" cried Mactavish, vaulting the counter, and intercepting Hugh as
he rushed upon his antagonist; "no fighting here, you blackguards! If
you want to do _that_, go outside the fort;" and Peter, opening the
door, thrust the Orkneyman out.

In the meantime, Baptiste gathered up his goods and left the store, in
company with several of his friends, vowing that he would wreak his
vengeance on the "gros chien" before the sun should set.

He had not long to wait, however, for just outside the gate he found
Hugh, still smarting under the pain and indignity of the blow, and ready
to pounce upon him like a cat on a mouse.

Baptiste instantly threw down his bundle, and prepared for battle by
discarding his coat.

Every nation has its own peculiar method of fighting, and its own ideas
of what is honourable and dishonourable in combat. The English, as
every one knows, have particularly stringent rules regarding the part of
the body which may or may not be hit with propriety, and count it foul
disgrace to strike a man when he is down; although, by some strange
perversity of reasoning, they deem it right and fair to _fall_ upon him
while in this helpless condition, and burst him if possible. The
Scotchman has less of the science, and we are half inclined to believe
that he would go the length of kicking a fallen opponent; but on this
point we are not quite positive. In regard to the style adopted by the
half-breeds, however, we have no doubt. They fight _any_ way and
_every_ way, without reference to rules at all; and really, although we
may bring ourselves into contempt by admitting the fact, we think they
are quite right. No doubt the best course of action is _not_ to fight;
but if a man does find it _necessary_ to do so, surely the wisest plan
is to get it over at once (as the dentist suggested to his timorous
patient), and to do it in the most effectual manner.

Be this as it may, Baptiste flew at Hugh, and alighted upon him, not
head first, or fist first, or feet first, or _anything_ first, but
altogether in a heap, as it were; fist, feet, knees, nails, and teeth
all taking effect at one and the same time, with a force so irresistible
that the next moment they both rolled in the dust together.

For a minute or so they struggled and kicked like a couple of serpents,
and then, bounding to their fe