. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . y at recess, feeling I suppose the Goilath welling up inhim, he bantered me to single combat. Having no desirein that direction, particularly with an antagonist sosuperior in size and strength, I declined the favor. Hehowever persisted, and at length clinched me about withhis arms, while with a quick movement of one foot heessayed to trip me, but was not successful. A crowd ofboys gathered about us with the interest usually mani-fested on the street, when from every direction men andboys hasten to witness a dog fight. It is so
. Life and reminiscences from birth to manhood of Wm. G. Johnston . y at recess, feeling I suppose the Goilath welling up inhim, he bantered me to single combat. Having no desirein that direction, particularly with an antagonist sosuperior in size and strength, I declined the favor. Hehowever persisted, and at length clinched me about withhis arms, while with a quick movement of one foot heessayed to trip me, but was not successful. A crowd ofboys gathered about us with the interest usually mani-fested on the street, when from every direction men andboys hasten to witness a dog fight. It is so inspiring,you know ! Well, we tugged and tusseled doggedly, andsomebodys legs giving way, we tumbled, and somehow Ifound myself on top, while my antagonist, by somechance, lay face downward. As it happened, a puddle ofdirty water where a brick in the pavement had beenremoved, was close to the proximity of his nose, and this 130 I found myself on top. fact was full of suggestion. Witli one hand I lifted hishead from the cold, hard bricks upon which it rested, and. CAUGHT IN THE ACT. with scarce too much of gentleness, pressed it down onceor twice against the same cold, hard bricks, causing a Camp Jackson Heroes. 131 flow from his nasal protuberance which changed themuddy pool to a claret color. The encounter was closeby the schoolroom door, and our dominies attentionbeing directed to the fray he came out, and lifting me bya slackened part of my nether garments which seemedto invite his grasp, he released my antagonist from fur-ther peril. Acquainting himself with the circumstanceswhich led to the combat, Mr. Williams did not inflictupon me any punishment, and the same immunity wasextended to my vanquished foe, whom possibly hethought sufficiently chastised. No dregs of enmity fol-lowed ; on the contrary we were ever after the best offriends. At the outbreak of the Eebellion, S and my an-tagonist in educational contests,—Warden,—were resid-ing in St, Louis. Both were born an
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