It was clear that I was incurring a risk, for the muscles of his
arms stood up like great globes; but if I could not match him in
strength, I hoped at least to have some little advantage of him in
science, thanks to the lessons of my good friend Captain
Galsworthy. I pulled off my coat, or rather Job's, starting a seam
as I did so, and then, the other two men standing between us and
the door, Topper and I began our bout.
I could see that he, as well as his companions, expected to win an
easy victory. But when at the end of the first round, we stopped at
Job's call for a breather, neither of us had got home more than a
few body blows, and Topper was patently chagrined, more especially
as the others could not forbear twitting him. He began the second
round with an impetuosity that kept me wholly on the defensive, and
pressed me so hard that I gave back and failed to counter a blow
that sent me spinning on to the hay behind. This afforded the
others much satisfaction, and at the call of time, they encouraged
Topper with a cry to give me a settler and have done with it.
But this was his undoing. He came at me with the same ferocity as
before, and, confident of a speedy victory, gave me an opening of
which I was quick to take advantage. In a trice I was within his
guard; I dealt him a right-hander with all my force; he staggered,
and before he could recover, a left-hander got him on the point of
the chin, and over he went with a thud on to the floor.
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