"'Then guess we've got you, sir,' says he, and comes down the beach at me at the double.
"'Think so?' says I, jumping out to meet him.
"'Twenty to one, sir!' says he. 'Chuck it up.'
"'Pardon,' says I, 'nineteen to one, I think,' and downs him with my left. O, such a beauty! flop in the mug.
"They were all awake by this of course; and there was a little bit of trouble. I wasn't going to ask my sweet lady to soil her lips on those mucky blackguards, so I kept dodging away before them, just doing enough with my dukes to keep them amused. They were no more good than a mob of cattle, you see—drunk with sleep and liquor, the lot of em.
"'Out knives, boys, and finish the blank!' says old Toadie.
"And pon my soul they came on so hot I don't know what mightn't have happened, when all of a sudden,
"'The boat!' screams Fat George from behind. 'Some blankety blank's at the boat.'
"And sure enough there was a long-legged chap launching the boat. In he jumped, shoved her off, and lay on his oars, lookin at em, as they came running along the edge of the sea."
The Parson threw back his jolly head.