These he sought out with care and begged
their pardon. The bulldog courage in him was so strong that in former
days he would have struck or insulted any man who provoked him, without
reference to his, it might be, superior size or strength. He now went
as boldly forward to confess his sin and to apologise. Sometimes his
apologies were kindly received, at other times he was rudely repelled
and called a hypocrite in language that we may not repeat, but he took
it well; he resented nothing now, and used to say he had been made
invulnerable since he had enlisted under the banner of the Prince of
Peace.

Yet, strange to say, the man's pugilistic powers were not rendered
useless by his pacific life and profession.

One day he was passing down one of those streets where even the police
prefer to go in couples. Suddenly a door burst open and a poor drunken
woman was kicked out into the street by a big ruffian with whom Ned was
not acquainted. Not satisfied with what he had done, the rough
proceeded to kick the woman, who began to scream "murder!"

A crowd at once collected, for, although such incidents were common
enough in such places, they always possessed sufficient interest to draw
a crowd; but no one interfered, first, because no one cared, and,
second, because the man was so big and powerful that every one was
afraid of him.

Of course Ned interfered, not with an indignant statement that the man
ought to be ashamed of himself, but, with the quiet remark--

"She's only a woman, you know, an' can't return it."

"An' wot 'ave _you_ got to do with it?" cried the man with a savage
curse, as he aimed a tremendous blow at Ned with his right-hand.

Our pugilist expected that. He did not start or raise his hands to
defend himself, he merely put his head to one side, and the huge fist
went harmlessly past his ear. Savagely the rough struck out with the
other fist, but Ned quietly, yet quickly put his head to the other side,
and again the fist went innocently by. A loud laugh and cheer from the
crowd greeted this, for, apart altogether from the occasion of the
disagreement, this turning of the head aside was very pretty play on the
part of Ned--being a remarkably easy-looking but exceedingly difficult
action, as all boxers know. It enabled Ned to smile in the face of his
foe without doing him any harm. But it enraged the rough to such an
extent, that he struck out fast as well as hard, obliging Ned to put
himself i