"My ears is all right!" returned John, frowning.
"Oh, ah!" chuckled the old man, "your ears is all right, John
--prize ears, ye might call 'em; I never seed a pair better
grow'd--never, no!"
"A bit large, they may be," growled John, giving a furtive pull
to the nearest ambush, "but--"
"Large as ever was, John!" nodded the Ancient--"oncommon large!
an', consequent, they ketches a lot too much. I've kep' my eye
on them ears o' yourn for thirty year an' more, John--if so be as
they grows any bigger, you'll be 'earin' things afore they're
spoke, an'--"
John gave a fierce tug to the ambush, muttered an oath, and,
lashing up his horse, disappeared down the road in a cloud of
dust.
"'Twere nigh on four year ago since Black Jarge thrashed John,
weren't it, Simon?"
"Ah!" nodded Simon, "John were in 'The Ring' then, Peter, an' a
pretty tough chap 'e were, too, though a bit too fond o' swingin'
wi' 'is 'right' to please me."
"'E were very sweet on Prue then, weren't 'e, Simon?"
"Ah!" nodded Simon again; "'e were allus 'anging round 'The
Bull'--till I warned 'im off--"
"An'-'e laughed at 'ee, Simon."
"Ah! 'e did that; an' I were going to 'ave a go at 'im myself;
an' the chances are 'e'd 'ave beat me, seein' I 'adn't been
inside of a ring for ten year, when--"
"Up comes Jarge," chuckled the Ancient. 'What's all this?' say
Jarge. 'I be goin' to teach John 'ere to keep away from my
Prue,' says Simon. 'No, no,' says Jarge, 'John's young, an' you
bean't the man you was ten years ago--let me,' says Jarge. 'You?'
says John, 'you get back to your bellers--you be purty big, but
I've beat the 'eads off better men nor you!' 'Why, then, 'ave a
try at mine,' says Jarge; an' wi' the word, bang! comes John's
fist again' 'is jaw, an' they was at it. Oh, Peter! that were a
fight! I've seed a few in my time, but nothin' like that 'ere."
"And when 'twere all over," added Simon, "Jarge went back to 'is
'ammer an' bellers, an' we picked John up, and I druv 'im 'ome in
this 'ere very cart, an' nobody's cared to stand up to Jarge
since."
"You have both seen Black George fight, then?" I inquired.