time to
interfere. There was a momentary struggle, developing the fine
proportions and great strength and skill of the wrestlers; and then, Tom
Cutter lay on his back upon the ground. The next instant, the victor put
his foot upon his chest, and kept the ruffian forcibly down,
notwithstanding all is exclamations of "Curse me, that isn't fair! When
you give a man a fall, let him get up again!"

"If he is a fair fighter, I do," replied the other; "but when he plays
pirate, I don't--" Then turning to Sir Philip Hastings, who had by this
time dismounted, he said, "What is to be done with this fellow, sir? It
seems he came here for the express purpose of assaulting you, for he
began his impertinence, with asking if you had passed, giving a very
accurate description of your person, and swearing you should find every
dog would have his day."

"His offence towards myself," replied the Baronet, "I will pass over,
for it seems to me, he has been punished enough in his own way; but I
suspect he has stolen this horse. He is a man of notoriously bad
character, who can never have obtained such an animal by honest means."

"No, I didn't steal him, I vow and swear," cried the ruffian, in a
piteous tone; for bullies are almost always cravens; "he was lent to me
by Johny Groves--some call him another name; but that don't signify.--He
lent him to me, to come up here, to stop your gab with the old woman,
Mother Danty; and mayhap to give you a good basting into the bargain.
But I didn't steal the horse no how; and there he is, running away over
the hill-side, and I shall never catch him; for this cursed fellow has
well nigh broken my back."

"Served you quite right, my friend," replied the stranger, still keeping
him tightly down with his foot. "How came you to use a cudgel to a man
who had none? Take my advice, another time, and know your man before you
meddle with him."

In the mean time Sir Philip Hastings had fallen into a profound reverie,
only repeating to himself the words "John Groves." Now the train of
thought which was awakened in his mind, though not quite new, was
unpleasant to him; for the time when he first became familiar with that
name was immediately subsequent to the opening of his father's will, in
which had been found a clause ordering the payment of a considerable sum
of money to some very respectable trustees, for the purpose of
purchasing an annuity in favor of one John Groves, then a minor.

There had been so