ripture furnish him with rules for action, his mind irresistibly
recalled the turning of the "other cheek" to the smiter, but the fact
that he was at that moment acting in defence of another, not of himself,
prevented that from relieving him. Suddenly--like the lightning flash--
there arose to him the words, "Smite a scorner and the simple will
beware!" Indeed, all that we have mentioned, and much more, passed
through his troubled brain with the speed of light. Lifting his eyes
calmly to the face of his opponent he said--"I accept your challenge."

"No, no, Charlie!" cried the alarmed Zook, in a remonstrative tone,
"you'll do nothing of the sort. The man's a old prize-fighter! You
haven't a chance. Why, I'll fight him myself rather than let you do
it."

And with that the little man began to square up and twirl his fists and
skip about in front of the bully in spite of his lameness--but took good
care to keep well out of his reach.

"It's a bargain, then," said Charlie, holding out his hand.

"Done!" answered the bully, grasping it.

"Well, then, the sooner we settle this business the better," continued
Charlie. "Where shall it come off?"

"Prize-fightin's agin the law," suggested an old pauper, who seemed to
fear they were about to set to in the kitchen.

"So it is, old man," said Charlie, "and I would be the last to engage in
such a thing, but this is not a prize-fight, for there's no prize. It's
simply a fight in defence of weakness against brute strength and
tyranny."

There were only a few of the usual inhabitants of the kitchen present at
the time, for it was yet early in the evening. This was lucky, as it
permitted of the fight being gone about quietly.

In the upper part of the building there was an empty room of
considerable size which had been used as a furniture store, and happened
at that time to have been cleared out, with the view of adding it to the
lodging. There, it was arranged, the event should come off, and to this
apartment proceeded all the inhabitants of the kitchen who were
interested in the matter. A good many, however, remained behind--some
because they did not like fights, some because they did not believe that
the parties were in earnest, others because they were too much taken up
with and oppressed by their own sorrows, and a few because, being what
is called fuddled, they did not understand or care anything about the
matter at all. Thus it came to pass that all the proc