The long-armed man, looking round for his girl, saw her in the shadow, leaning heavily and laughingly on Jack's young shoulder. Up he sprang, snarling like a gorilla, his long hairy arms in front of him. The girl retreated, and Jack, in a state of semi-intoxicated readiness, opened his arms and locked them round the little gorilla of a man. Locked together, they rolled and twirled round the yard under the moon, scattering the delighted onlookers like a wild cow. Jack was laughing to himself, because he had got the grip of the powerful long-armed old man. And there was no real anger in the tussle. The gorilla was an old sport.
Jack was sitting in a chair under the vine, with his head in his hands and his elbows on his knees, getting his wind. Paddy was fanning him with a bunch of gum-leaves, and congratulating him heartily.
"First chap as ever laid out Long-armed Jake."
"What'd he jump on me for?" said Jack. "I said nothing to him."
"What y' sayin'?" ejaculated Paddy coaxingly. "Didn't ye take his girl, now?"
"Take his girl? I? Not She leaned on me, I didn't take her."
"Arrah! Look at that now! The brazenness of it! Well, be it on ye! Take another drink. Will ye come an' show the boys some o' ye tricks, belike?"
Jack was in the yard again, shaking hands with Long-armed Jake.
"Good on y'! Good on y'!" cried old Jake. "Ye're a cock-bird in fine feather! What's a wench between two gentlemen! Shake, my lad, shake! I'm Long-armed Jake, I am, an' I set a cock-bird before any whure of a hen."
They rounded up, sparred, staved off, showed off like two amiable fighting-cocks, before the admiring cockeys. Then they had good-natured turns with the young farmers, and mild wrestling bouts with the old veterans. Having another drink, playing, gassing, swaggering . . .