"Take. care it doesn't come aginst you, then, some o' these days," said
a voice.

"Ay," added another, "or some o' these nights!"

"Ah, you ungrateful and cowardly crew," he replied, "who have not one
drop of manly blood in your veins, I despise you. Like all thorough
cowards, you are equally slavish and treacherous. Kindness is thrown
away upon you, generosity you cannot understand, for open fight or open
resentment you have neither heart nor courage--but give you the hour of
midnight, and your unsuspecting victim asleep--or place you behind the
shelter of a hedge, where your cowardly person is safe and invisible,
with a musket or blunderbuss in your hands, and a man before whom you
have crawled in the morning like reptiles, you will not scruple to
assassinate that night. Curse upon you! you are a disgrace to any
Christian country, and I despise, I say, and defy you. As for you,
Buck English, avoid my path, and cross neither me nor any member of my
family."

"Alick Purcel," said English, "mark my words--I'll put my thumb upon
you and yours yet. I say, mark them; for the day will come when you will
remember them to your cost."

Purcel gave him a stern look, and merely said--"I'm prepared for you;"
after which he and his brother John mounted their horses and dashed off
at a rapid pace towards their father's house, followed by the groans
and hootings of the people--far above all whose voices was heard that of
Buck English, in loud and contemptuous tones.

On relating the occurrence at home, the father, as was his custom, only