d
himself with eluding Jabe's mad charges and sledge-hammer blows.

The audience that blocked the door had grown silent. Things were not
going according to schedule. After the first few rushes they had
realized that their hero was getting the worst of the encounter.

Ten minutes had gone by. Jabe was breathing hard, while Percy was fresh
as ever. His cool smile maddened his antagonist and made him less
skilful. In one of his onsets he had slammed his doubled fist against
the wooden partition and split his knuckles; the pain and the running
blood made him wild with rage.

Confident at first of easy victory, he had finally realized that Percy
was playing with him, that he had met his master in the boxing-game. His
face had shown in turn anger, surprise, alarm, and at last positive
fear. But one thought possessed his mind, to win at any cost, by fair
means or foul. His rushes, which had slackened, grew more violent. He
came at Percy head down; he tried to crowd him into a corner, to throw
his arms around him, to overpower him by sheer, brute strength.

Percy realized that in a rough-and-tumble he would be no match for Jabe.
In legitimate boxing he had shown himself his foe's superior; and he was
not particularly anxious to emphasize that fact by blacking Jabe's eyes
or "bloodying" his nose. He would have been willing to let the matter
stand where it was or allow Jabe to wear himself fruitlessly down to
exhaustion. But such a course was neither feasible nor safe. Jabe would
never voluntarily acknowledge that he was beaten. Besides, there was
always the chance of something happening to put Percy at his mercy; and
Percy knew only too well what that mercy would be.

His only safety was to force a clear-cut decision.

"It's a case of knock-out," he decided. "No use to bruise him up. Might
as well have it over quick!"

Savagely, though somewhat wearily, yet with undaunted determination,
Jabe rushed him and struck out with his left. For the first time in the
battle Percy launched in with all his strength. He cross-countered with
his right on the point of Jabe's jaw.

It was the wind-up. Jabe hit the hayseed in a heap. For a few seconds he
lay motionless, then struggled to a sitting position.

"Got enough?" asked Percy.

Jabe took the count.

"I'm licked," he acknowledged; and there were tears in his voice.

"Can I do anything for you?"

"No; I'll be all right in a little while."

Percy put on his coat and cap and