Page:Jim of the Hills.djvu/42

 It was Spring, glad Spring, an' the swallows on the wing  ''Made a man feel kind an' peaceful with their cheery twittering.  As I watched their graceful wheelin' with a pleasant sort of feelin' '' ''Old man Pike pulled out his ticker, an' the mill-hands made a ring.  There was gold upon the wattle an' the blackwood was in bud, '' ''An' I felt the call for action fairly sizzin' in my blood. ''

Murray comes on like a bull; Both his eyes with spleen are full. Let him have it—left an' right. … Pike is bustin' with delight. … Right eye once and left eye twice — Then he grabs me like a vise. … Down into the dust we go— Bull-dog grip and short-arm blow.

''It was Spring! Mad Spring! Just to feel him clutch an' cling '' ''Told me plain that life was splendid an' my strength a precious thing.  On the sawdust heap we scrambled, while the fellows yelled an' gambled '' On the fight; an' Ben loosed curse-words in a never-endin' string. Oh, I glimpsed the soft sky shinin' an' I smelled the fresh-cut wood;  ''An' as we rolled I pummelled him, an' knew the world was good. ''