After several sharp rounds they closed, and still Payne was ahead, but in an evil moment he spied a pine knot at his feet, which he thought he could reach, and end the fight by cracking Donnelly's head with it.

Donnelly took instant advantage of the movement to get it, threw Payne heavily, and fell upon him.

His crowd rushed in to finish our man by clubbing him over the head.

We sailed in to prevent this, and after a rattling exchange of blows all around, succeeded in getting Payne away.
The issue of the fight seemed rather against us, however, and the Raiders were much emboldened.

Payne kept close to his crowd after that, and as we had shown such an entire willingness to stand by him, the Raiders -- with their accustomed prudence when real fighting was involved--did not attempt to molest him farther, though they talked very savagely.
A few days after this Sergeant Goody and Corporal Ned Carrigan, both of our battalion, came in.