The fighting madness had come upon me, and I found my strong fingers firmly attached to the throat of my cowardly tormentor; as heedless of consequences, at the moment, as though we stood as equals before the law.

The very color of the man was forgotten.

I felt as supple as a cat, and was ready for the snakish creature at every turn.

Every blow of his was parried, though I dealt no blows in turn.

I was strictly on the _defensive_, preventing him from injuring me, rather than trying to injure him.