Kennedy, Busby, Dunn, and others were a little way
off'. They saw me, and came running up. Kennedy
was the bully of the camp, and the leader of those
against me. He came up and said:

" If I had been here you would not have turned that
ox out. I would have switched you if you had tried it."

"Kennedy," I said, "I have lost property enough
without your oppressing me any more."

He shoved his fist under my nose. I parried his
blow, and told him that he would do well to keep at a
proper distance from me. He again made a pass at
me. I then threw down my hat and said:



270 LEE IS TREATED BADLY

" If you attempt that again you must take what
follows."

He came at me the third time, and as he did so I
aimed to spoil his face, but he dropped his head as
I struck ; the blow took eiFect on his eyebrow, and badly
sprained my thumb. We were on a little knoll, full
of stumps of small trees that had been cut down. Ken-
nedy caught hold of me and commenced shoving me
back.
I knew that my strength would not last long. I
did not wish to risk having a tussle among the stumps,
so I backed towards the cleared ground. I fastened
my left hand in his long black hair to steady myself,
and as I reached the flat ground I suddenly leaped back,
breaking his hold by tearing my shirt. I then jerked
him forward at an angle of forty-five degrees, and
planted my fist in his face ; stepping back, and drawing
him after me, I kept feeding him in the face with my
fist, the blood spurting over me.
