io?"

"Maybe I was, an' maybe I wasn't. What's that to you?"

"Well, do you remember licking a young fellow there for jerking the roof
log out of the hotel with your masting team of oxen?"

"Bejabers, I do that"; and Mike's eyes twinkled for the first time with
a pleasant look.

"Well, Mike, I am that fellow; an' that's what ye gave me." Jim raised
his chin and showed an irregular scar.

"Well sure, that's the Gospel truth"; and Michael grinned. "By gosh,
that's the time I had to skip out of Chicago. A little election fuss ye
understand," and he chuckled. "Set down. What'll ye drink?" and the huge
hand swung two chairs within reach.

"No," said Jim. "I'm not drinking to-day; but I want to tell you that I
was only a kid when you licked me. I swore that some day I'd meet you
and have another try. Well, I've filled out some in the last seven
years, an' some day, when ye feel like it, we might put on the gloves
together."

Mike chuckled, "Now you're talking! What's the matter with right now?"
and he pointed to a room farther back. "But, say, ye ain't in training,
are ye?"

"No; are you?"

"No."

"Then come on."

Mike opened the next door and led the way into a larger room, with the
fixings of a regular boxing academy, followed by his friends and one or
two additional customers from the bar room.

Hopkins followed Hartigan, and was filled, apparently, with strange and
mixed emotions. "Really, Mr. Hartigan, as President of the Board of
Deacons, I must protest against this whole shocking procedure." Then, in
a different tone: "But, as a man, by jinks! I'm going to see it
through."

"Why not?" said Jim. "Sure it's simple and easy. In about three rounds,
I'll get him or he'll get me; then we'll shake hands and all be good
friends ever after. It couldn't have happened better."

Both men stripped to the waist, and the contrast was as great as the
resemblance. Broad, equally broad, and superbly muscled, the
saloon-keeper was, if anything, heavier, but there was just a suspicion
of bloat over all his frame. Jim was clean built, statuesque--a Jason
rather than a Hermes. He was by six inches taller, but the other had
just as long a reach. And, as the officious patrons of the "pub"
strapped on the gloves and made the usual preparation of wet sponge and
towel, it seemed in all respects an even match--in all respects but one;
Jim was twenty-odd, Mike was forty-odd.

The small man with a squeaky voice installed himsel