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Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 193, 22 July 1873, Page 6

A capital illustration of the Englishman’s innate love of fair plav occurred at Hampden the other day. A party of Brogden’s late importations assembled at a public-house in that ■ locality, and proceeded to enjoy their leisure after the approved manner of the British navvy. When a certain, or rather uncertain number of pints of beer had been consumed, two gentlemen of the party began to argue some abstruse point in borrowing. The discussion waxed sultry, and angry passions snpervening upon the beer, one of the disputants, to add force to his arguments, knocked the other down. Stupefied by the force

of the blow and the quantity of beer he had consumed, the fallen man showed no disposition to vise. His assailant, however, not wishing to have the dispute concluded in such a summary fashion, after waiting impatiently for a moment or two. savagely '• went for" his prostrate opponent. The bystanders, who had hitherto remained interested, though passive, spectators of the fray, at this point interfered. " Fair play," shouted one, " don't hit a man when he's down; hold him back." Two or three therefore seized the enraged attacker and held him back from his prey, while others lifted the semi-conscious man from the floor and propped him up against some bags of oats in a corner, in such a manner that he could not by any possibility fall down. The other man was then released, and enjoved the felicity of punching his almost defenceless foe to his heart's content. The bystanders watched the punching process with approrinc; cheers, feeling satisfied that thev had fulfilled all the requirements of honour and justice by seeing that their fellow-workm\n was standing on his legs while he was being half killed.— Brutt Herald.

We hear that the title of Mr Vincent Fyke's promised hook is " Wild Will Enderbv,' and that it is entirely a story of Colonial life, which the author is so well fitted to pourtrav. The scenes are laid principally in our own goldfields, but also partly in Victoria. Its issue will, no doubt, shortly be announce 1 by the pnbltsTwr*.