'Your reputation is only too well known to me,' he answered. 'Are you going to stand up or not?'
'Since you wish it so much,' I said wearily, seeing that further argument was useless.
'I thought you would hear reason,' he said, and took up his position.
We faced each other, and he led off with a blow that caught me on the chin. That roused my blood, and there and then I let him have it. He was not a bad boxer, and by no means deficient in courage, but he was like a baby in my hands. I can say that safely without fear of bragging. Three times in succession I sent him down to measure his length upon the ground. And each time he got up and faced me again. At last I could stand it no longer.
'That's enough,' I cried. 'Good God, man, you don't know what you're doing! If I go on I shall murder you.'
'We'll go on then till you do,' he said, getting up for the fourth time and preparing to renew the battle. But just as he did so a loud voice behind us called 'Stop!'
It was old McLeod.
'And pray what does this mean?' he cried, as he came between us. 'James Heggarstone, I am ashamed of ye. Colin, surely ye must have taken leave of your senses.'
Then Colin gave me another sample of his curious character.