Page:A Child of the Jago - Arthur Morrison.djvu/172

 crown to waist, and his chest and flanks were a mottle of bruises.

"Father's awright, mother—I see 'im laughin'. An' 'e's smashed Leary's nose all over 'is face!"

Up again they sprang for the next round, Perrott active and daring, Leary cautious and a trifle stiff. Josh rushed in and struck at the tender ribs once more, took two blows callously on his head, and sent his left at the nose, with a smack as of a flail on water. With that Leary rushed like a bull, and Josh was driven and battered back, for the moment without response. But he ducked and slipped away and came again, fresh and vicious. And now it was seen that Perrott's toughness of hand was lasting. Leary's knuckles were raw, cut, and flayed, and took little good by the shock when they met the other's stubborn muzzle; while Josh still flung in his corneous fists, hard and lasting as a bag of bullets.