HOD. Who's there? boy! honest boy, well-met: where hast thou been? BOY. O Hodge, Dick Coomes hath been as good as a cry of hounds, to make a breath'd[400] hare of me! but didst thou see my master? HOD. I met him even now, and he ask'd me for thee, and he is gone up and down, whooing like[401] an owl for thee. BOY. Owl, ye ass! HOD. Ass! no, nor glass, for then it had been Owlglass[402]: but who's that, boy? BOY. By the mass, 'tis our Coomes and Nicholas; and it seems they are providing to fight. HOD. Then we shall have fine sport, i'faith. Sirrah, let's stand close, and when they have fought a bout or two, we'll run away with the torch, and leave them to fight darkling, shall we? BOY. Content; I'll get the torch: stand close. COOMES. So now my back hath room to reach: I do not love to be lac'd in, when I go to lace a rascal. I pray God, Nicholas prove not a fly:[403] it would do me good to deal with a good man now, that we might have half-a-dozen good smart strokes. Ha, I have seen the day I could have danc'd in my fight, one, two, three, four, and five, on the head of him; six, seven, eight, nine, and ten on the sides of him; and, if I went so far as fifteen, I warrant I shewed[404] him a trick of one-and-twenty; but I have not fought this four days, and I lack a little practice of my ward; but I shall make a shift: ha, close [_Aside_]. --Are ye disposed, sir? NICH. Yes, indeed, I fear no colours: change sides, Richard. COOMES. Change the gallows! I'll see thee hang'd first. NICH. Well, I see the fool will not leave his bable[405] for the Tower of London. COOMES. Fool, ye rogue! nay, then, fall to it. NICH. Good goose, bite not. COOMES. 'Sblood, how pursy I am! Well, I see exercise is all: I must practice my weapons oft'ner; I must have a goal or two at foot-ball, before I come to my right kind [_Aside_]. Give me thy hand, Nicholas: thou art a better man than I took thee for, and yet thou art not so good a man as I. NICH. You dwell by ill-neighbours, Richard; that makes ye praise yourself. COOMES. Why, I hope thou wilt say I am a man? NICH. Yes, I'll say so, if I should see ye hang'd. COOMES. Hang'd, ye rogue! nay, then, have at ye. [_While they fight, exeunt_ HODGE _and_ BOY _with the torch_.] Zounds, the light is gone! NICH. O Lord, it is as dark as pitch! COOMES. Well, here I'll lie, with my buckler thus, lest striking up and down at randall[406] the rogue might hurt me, for I cannot see to save it, and I'll hold my peace, lest my voice should bring him where I am. [_Stand aside_.] NICH. 'Tis good to have a cloak for the rain; a bad shift is better than none at all; I'll sit here, as if I were as dead as a door-nail. [_Stand aside_.][407] _Enter_ MR BARNES _and_ MR GOURSEY. MR GOUR. Hark! there's one hallooes. MR BARNES. And there's another.