umph. "Remember your father's
rule, 'Keep your head with your heels.'" And Larry did remember! For
on the call of "Time" he slipped from Ben's knees and began to circle
lightly about Mop, smiling upon him and waiting his chance. His chance
soon came, for Mop, thinking that his enemy had had about enough and was
ready to quit, adopted aggressive tactics, and, feinting with his right,
swung heavily with his left at the smiling face. But the face proved
elusive, and upon Mop's undefended head a series of blows dealt with
savage fury took all the heart out of him. So he cried to the referee as
he ducked into his corner:

"He's fightin'. He's fightin'. I'm not fightin'."

"You'd better get busy then," called Ben derisively from his corner.
"Now, Larry, sail into him," and Larry sailed in with such vehemence
that Mop fairly turned tail and ran around the ring, Larry pursuing him
amid the delighted shouts of the spectators.

This ended the contest, the judges giving the decision to Mop, who,
though obviously beaten at the finish, had showed a distinct superiority
on points. As for Larry, the decision grieved him not at all. He carried
home a face slightly disfigured but triumphant, his sole comment to his
mother upon the contest being, "I was not afraid of him anyway, mother;
he could not make me run."

"I am not so sure of this boxing, Lawrence," she said, but the boy
caught the glint in her eyes and was well enough content.

In the late evening Ben, with Larry and Joe following him, took occasion
to look in upon Mop at the butcher shop.

"Say, Mop," said Ben pleasantly, "what do you think of Larry now? Would
you say he was a coward?"

"What do you mean?" asked Mop, suspecting trouble.

"Just what I say," said Ben, while Larry moved up within range, his face
white, his eyes gleaming.

"I ain't saying nothing about nobody," replied Mop sullenly, with the
tail of his eye upon Larry's white face and gleaming eyes.

"You say him one tam--in de cedar swamp," said Joe.

"Would you say Larry was a coward?" repeated Ben.

"No, I wouldn't say nothing of the sort," replied Mop promptly.

"Do you think he is a coward?" persisted Ben.

"No," said Mop, "I know he ain't no coward. He don't fight like no
coward."

This appeared to satisfy Ben, but Larry, moving slightly nearer, took up
the word for himself.

"And would you say my mother was a coward?" he asked in a tense voice,
his body gathered as if for a spring.

"L