nding position, not more than a foot distant. Then
slowly spreading out his arms, so as to inclose the form of the
stalwart woodsman, he brought them together like a vise, giving
utterance at the same time to an exultant "whoop."

"Yer days of thramping _this_ country, and alarming paceable
inhabitants are done wid, Mister Anaconda. So jist kaal over
gracefully, say tin Ave Marias, and consider yourself in the hands of
Gabriel sint for judgment."

All this time Teddy had been straining and hugging at the hunter as if
determined to crush him, while he, in turn, had taken it very coolly,
and now spoke in his gruff bass voice:

"Let go!"

"Let go! Well now, that's impudint, ye varlet. As if Teddy McFadden
would let go hook and line, bob and sinker, whin he had got hold of a
sturgeon. Be aisy now; I'll squaze the gizzard and liver iv ye
togither, if ye doesn't yield gracefully."

"Let go, I say! Do you hear?".

"Yis, I hears, and that is the extint--"

Teddy's next sensation was as if a thunderbolt had burst beneath his
feet, for he was hurled headlong full half a rod over the head of the
hunter. Though considerably bruised, he was not stunned by the fall,
and quickly recovered. Scratching his head, he cried:

"Begorrah, but yees can't repate _that_ trick!" making a rush toward
his antagonist, who stood calmly awaiting his onset.

"By heavens, I'll give you something different then!" said the man, as
he caught him bodily in his arms, and running to the edge of the
river, flung him sprawling into it. The water was deep, and it
required considerable struggling to reach the shore.

This last prodigious exhibition of strength inspired the Irishman with
a sort of respect for the stranger. Teddy had found very few men, even
among frontiersmen and Indians, who could compete with him in a
hand-to-hand struggle; yet, there was now no question but what he was
overmatched, and he could but admire, in a degree, the man who so
easily handled his assailant. It was useless to attack the enemy after
such a repulse; so he quietly seated himself upon the shore.

"Would ye have the kindness, ye assassinating disciple of the
crowner's jury, whin yees have jist shown how nately ye can dishpose
of a man like meself, to tell me why it was you run so mighty harrd
whin I took once before after yees? Why didn't ye pause, and sarve me
then jist as ye have done? I'd jist like to know that before we go any
further wid _this_ matter."

"