The crowd, careless of the rights of the case, cheered on both, and only interfered when the woman, having secured the boy in her grip, bade fair to bring the interesting encounter to too abrupt an end.
I dared not interfere, even if I had been able, but was forced to stand wedged up in the crowd to watch the issue of the struggle.

And it was not long in coming.

Amid loud cheers from the onlookers, Billy contrived for the seventh or eighth time to wriggle himself free from the clutches of his well-nigh frantic assailant, dealing her at the same time a blow on the arm with the blacking-brush he had all along retained in his hand.

The surprise and pain of the blow, the jeers of the bystanders, and the tipsy rage of the woman combined to drive her nearly mad.

With a fearful yell and threat she literally flung herself in wild fury upon her little victim.