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.'An'wot'smore,'etreatsyerlikeone.Iknow'oogiveyerthetblackeyethetshowswhat'ethinksofyer!An'serveyerbloomin'wellrightif'e'dgiveyeroneinbotheyes!'
Mrs.Blakestonstoodcloseinfrontofher,herheavyjawprotrudedandthefrownofhereyebrowsdarkandstern.Foramomentshestoodsilent,contemplatingLiza,whilethesurrounderslookedoninbreathlessinterest.
'Yerdirtylittlebitch,you!'shesaidatlast.'Tikethat!'andwithheropenhandshegaveherasharpsmackonthecheek.
Lizastartedbackwithacryandputherhanduptoherface.
'An'tikethet!'addedMrs.Blakeston,repeatingtheblow.Then,gatheringupthespittleinhermouth,shespatinLiza'sface.
Lizasprangonher,andwithherhandsspreadoutlikeclawsburiedhernailsinthewoman'sfaceanddrewthemdownhercheeks.Mrs.Blakestoncaughtholdofherhairwithbothhandsandtuggedatitashardasshecould.Buttheywereimmediatelyseparated.
''Ere,'old'ard!'saidsomeofthemen.'Fightitahtfairandsquare.Don'tgoscratchin'andmaulin'likethet.'
'I'llfight'er,Idon'tmind!'shoutedMrs.Blakeston,tuckinguphersleevesandsavagelyglaringatheropponent.
Lizastoodinfrontofher,paleandtremblingasshelookedatherenemy,andsawthelongredmarksofhernails,withbloodcomingfromoneortwoofthem,sheshrankback.
'Idon'twantterfight,'shesaidhoarsely.
'Na,Idon'tsupposeyerdo,'hissedtheother,'butyer'lldamnwell'aveter!'
'She'seversomuchbiggerthanmeI'vegotnochanst,'addedLizatearfully.
'Youshould'avethoughtofthetbefore.Comeon!'andwiththesewordsMrs.Blakestonrusheduponher.Shehitherwithbothfistsoneaftertheother.Lizadidnottrytoguardherself,butimitatingthewoman'smotion,hitoutwithherownfistsandforaminuteortwotheycontinuedthus,rainingblowsononeanotherwiththesamewindmillmotionofthearms.ButLizacouldnotstandagainsttheotherwoman'sweighttheblowscamedownheavyandrapidalloverherfaceandhead.Sheputupherhandstocoverherfaceandturnedherheadaway,whileMrs.Blakestonkeptonhittingmercilessly.
'Time!'shoutedsomeofthemen—'Time!'andMrs.Blakestonstoppedtorestherself.
'Itdon'tseem'ardlyfairtosetthemtwoontergether.Liza'sgotnochanstagainstabigwomanlikethet,'saidamanamongthecrowd.
'Well,it'ser'ownfault,'answeredawoman'shedidn'toughtermessaboutwith'er'usbind.'
'Well,Idon'tthinkit'sright,'addedanotherman.'She'sgettin'ittoomuch.'
'An'serve'errighttoo!'saidoneofthewomen.'Shedeservesallshegetsan'adamnsightmoreinterthebargain.'
'Quiteright,'putinathird'awoman'sgotnorighttertikesomeone's'usbindfrom'er.An'ifshedoesshe'sbloomin'luckyifshegitsoffwitha'idin'—thet'swotIthink.'
'SodoI.ButIwouldn't'avethoughtitofLiza.Ineverthoughtshewasawrong'un.'
'Prettyspecimensheis!'saidalittledarkwoman,wholookedlikeaJewess.'Ifshemessedabahtwithmyoldman,I'dstick'er—IswearIwould!'
'Nowshe'sbeencarryin'onwithone,she'lltryan'gitothers—youseeifshedon't.'
'She'dbetternotcomeroundmy'ouseI'llsoongive'erwotfor.'
MeanwhileLizawasstandingatonecornerofthering,tremblingalloverandcryingbitterly.Oneofhereyeswasbungedup,andherhair,alldishevelled,washangingdownoverherface.Twoyoungfellows,whohadconstitutedthemselvesherseconds,werestandinginfrontofher,offeringratherironicalcomfort.Oneofthemhadtakenthebottomcornersofherapronandwasfanningherwithit,whiletheotherwasshowingherhowtostandandholdherarms.
'Youstandupto'er,Liza,'hewassaying'thereain'tnogoodfunkin'it,you'llsimplygetitalltheworse.You'it'erback.Give'eroneontheboko,likethis—seeyermustshowabitofpluck,yerknow.'
Lizatriedtocheckhersobs.
'Yus,'it'er'ard,that'swotyer'vegotterdo,'saidtheother.'An'ifyerfindshe'sgettin'thebetteronyer,youcloseon'erandcatch'oldof'er'airandscratch'er.'
'You'vemarked'erwithyernails,Liza.Bygosh,youdidflyonherwhenshespatatyer!thet'sthewayterdothejob!'
Thenturningtohisfellow,hesaid:
'D'yerrememberthetfightasoldMotherCregg'adwithanotherwomaninthestreetlastyear?'
'Na,'heanswered,'Ineversawthet.'
'Itwasacawkeran'thecopscomeinandtook'embothoffterquod.'
Lizawishedthepolicemenwouldcomeandtakeheroffshewouldwillinglyhavegonetoprisontoescapethefiendinfrontofherbutnohelpcame.
'Time'sup!'shoutedthereferee.'Fireaway!'
'Tikecareofthecops!'shoutedaman.
'There'snofearabahtthem,'answeredsomebodyelse.'Theyalwayskeepsoutofthewaywhenthere'sanythin'goin'on.'
'Fireaway!'
Mrs.BlakestonattackedLizamadlybutthegirlstoodupbravely,andaswellasshecouldgavebacktheblowsshereceived.Thespectatorsgrewtremendouslyexcited.
'Got'imagain!'theyshouted.'Giveit'er,Liza,thet'sagood'un!—'it'er'ard!'
'Twoteroneontheold'un!'shoutedasportinggentlemanbutLizafoundnobackers.
'Ain'tshestandin'upwellnowshe'sroused?'criedsomeone.
'Oh,she'sgotsomepluckin'er,she'as!'
'Thet'saknock-aht!'theyshoutedasMrs.BlakestonbroughtherfistdownontoLiza'snosethegirlstaggeredback,andbloodbegantoflow.Then,losingallfear,madwithrage,shemadearushonherenemy,andraineddownblowsalloverhernoseandeyesandmouth.Thewomanrecoiledatthesuddenviolenceoftheonslaught,andthemencried:
'ByGod,thelittle'un'sgettin'thebestofit!'
ButquicklyrecoveringherselfthewomanclosedwithLiza,anddughernailsintoherflesh.Lizacaughtholdofherhairandpulledwithallhermight,andturningherteethonMrs.Blakestontriedtobiteher.Andthusforaminutetheyswayedabout,scratching,tearing,biting,sweatandbloodpouringdowntheirfaces,andtheireyesfixedononeanother,bloodshotandfullofrage.Theaudienceshoutedandcheeredandclappedtheirhands.
'Wotthe'ell'sup'ere?'
'Isy,lookthere,'saidsomeofthewomeninawhisper.'It'sthe'usbind!'
Hestoodontiptoeandlookedoverthecrowd.
'MyGawd,'hesaid,'