Page:Tom Brown's School Days (6th ed).djvu/316

 and is ready for all that may come; and here is the Slogger, too, all stripped and thirsting for the fray.

It doesn't look like a fair match at first glance: Williams is nearly two inches taller and probably a long year older than his opponent, and he is very strongly made about the arms and shoulders; "peels well," as the little knot of big fifth-form boys, the amateurs, say, who stand outside the ring of little boys, looking complacently on, but taking no active part in the proceedings. But down below he is not so good by any means—no spring from the loins, and feeblish, not to say shipwrecky, about the knees. Tom, on the contrary, though not half so strong in the arms, is good all over—straight, hard, and springy from neck to ankle—better, perhaps, in his legs than anywhere. Besides, you can see by the clear white of his eye and fresh, bright look of his skin that he is in tiptop training, able to do all he knows; while the Slogger looks rather sodden, as if he didn't take much exercise and ate too much tuck. The timekeeper is chosen, a large ring made, and the two stand up opposite each other for a moment, giving us time just to make our little observations.

"If Tom 'll only condescend to fight with his head and heels," as East mutters to Martin, "we shall do."

But seemingly he won't, for there he goes in, making play with both hands. Hard all is the word; the two stand to each other like men; rally follows rally in quick succession, each fighting as if he thought to finish the whole thing out of hand. "Can't last at this rate," say the knowing ones, while the partisans of each make the air ring with their shouts and counter-shouts of encouragement, approval, and defiance.

"Take it easy! take it easy!—keep away! let him come after you!" implores East, as he wipes Tom's face after the first round with wet sponge, while he sits back on Martin's knee, supported by the Madman's long arms, which tremble a little from excitement.

"Time's up," calls the timekeeper.

"There he goes again, hang it all!" growls East, as his man is