Tom goes in in a
twinkling, and hits two heavy body blows, and gets away again before the
Slogger can catch his wind, which when he does he rushes with blind fury
at Tom, and being skilfully parried and avoided, overreaches himself and
falls on his face, amidst terrific cheers from the School-house boys.
"Double your two to one?" says Groove to Rattle, notebook in hand.
"Stop a bit," says that hero, looking uncomfortably at Williams, who is
puffing away on his second's knee, winded enough, but little the worse
in any other way.
After another round the Slogger too seems to see that he can't go in and
win right off, and has met his match or thereabouts. So he too begins
to use his head, and tries to make Tom lose his patience, and come in
before his time. And so the fight sways on, now one and now the other
getting a trifling pull.
Tom's face begins to look very one-sided--there are little queer bumps
on his forehead, and his mouth is bleeding; but East keeps the wet
sponge going so scientifically that he comes up looking as fresh and
bright as ever. Williams is only slightly marked in the face, but by
the nervous movement of his elbows you can see that Tom's body blows are
telling. In fact, half the vice of the Slogger's hitting is neutralized,
for he daren't lunge out freely for fear of exposing his sides. It is
too interesting by this time for much shouting, and the whole ring is
very quiet.
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