But in any case our gladiators heard nothing. When Ah Q advanced three steps, Little D withdrew three and stood still; when Little D advanced three steps, Ah Q walked back three, and also stood still. This must have continued for half an hour — Weichuang seldom possessed an alarm clock, so it is very difficult to say with accuracy; perhaps it was twenty minutes — but when, their hair steaming with perspiration and their foreheads streaming with sweat, Ah Q relaxed his hold, at the selfsame moment Little D's hands relaxed theirs. So they had started at the same time and had separated at the same time. They pushed their way out of the crowd.
"Remember this, you —" spurted Ah Q, turning back his head.
"You — remember this and it will be all right," sputtered Little D, also turning back his head.
It seemed that this furious fray between dragon and tiger had ended in neither victory nor defeat. It is not known whether the onlookers were satisfied with the performance, for there was not much discussion about the matter. However, the fact remained that no one came to ask Ah Q to do odd jobs.
On a very balmy day, when the soft breeze was fluttering about with a suggestion of summer in its breath, Ah Q felt chilly, but a little chill could
