“Oh, me poor Mike!” cried Judy, breaking afresh into sobs and tears and dialect. “Me poor, dear, darlint bhoy! Sure he was born to have the head av him broke. Sure, it’s not the first time, though it’s the worst. But, afther all, it is not so bad broke as me own dear Ran’s was, be the same token, and be the hands av that same murthering thaif av the wurruld! Oh! wirra! wirra! It was not enough that he kilt me dear Ran intirely, but now he must kill me poor Mike!” wailed Judy until her words were drowned in a flood of tears. Mr. Campbell gazed in astonishment for a moment. In this wild Irish girl, giving full swing to her emotions and her brogue, he could scarcely recognize the quiet gentlewoman he had known now for some hours as Mrs. Randolph Hay. But he quickly recovered himself, and atoned for his involuntary rudeness by withdrawing his gaze and offering the gentlest words of consolation. In the meantime the struggle on the table was continued in grim silence. The opponents saving all their wind for their strife until, as they swayed back and forth, the equilibrium of the board was overbalanced, and table and men fell together to the floor with a loud crash that called forth shrieks from the women. For one moment the three men rolled together in a knot on the carpet, and the next Gentleman Geff lay flat on his back, with Longman’s knees on his chest and hands around his throat. “Ran!” exclaimed the hunter, “take my handkerchief out of my coat pocket and tie the feet of this wild beast!” Ran immediately tried to obey. He drew the large red bandanna from Longman’s pocket, found it strong enough for its purpose, and went around and took hold of the feet of the prostrate madman, but he immediately received a shower of kicks upon his chest that knocked him breathless. Seeing that, Longman raised his voice again. “Mr. Legg, come here! We haven’t got a man to deal with, but a devil, and a rum-maddened devil at that!” Legg immediately rushed to the rescue. “Have you got a scarf or a handkerchief? A good strong one. All right! Tie this brute’s fore paws together while I hold him down. Samson, my namesake, what amazing strength rum and madness gives a brute!” panted Longman, when he had finished his labor and arose to his feet. The conquered demoniac lay bound and gagged on the floor, his murderous limbs helpless, his blasphemous tongue speechless. Yet still he writhed, tossed and floundered like some huge, stranded sea monster. The distressed group gathered around Michael Man were obliged to wait in quietness for the arrival of the doctor, for they dared not even move the wounded man lest they should do him a fatal injury. Dr. Hobbs came at last, and being a country practitioner, he brought his medicine chest as well as his surgical case with him. He was a tall, lank, red-haired young Yorkshireman, fresh from the London colleges, who had lately succeeded to the practice of his father, an aged, retired physician of the place.