grunts breaking the
silence. Bayne Trevors gave back a stubborn step, striking right and
left as he did so; caught himself, hurled himself forward so that now
it was Bud Lee who was borne backward by the sheer weight of his
opponent. There was a gash on Lee's temple from which a thin stream of
blood trickled; Trevors's mouth was bleeding.

"Under his guard, Trevors!" shouted Melvin, on the table now, his face
red, his eyes shining. "Under, under!"

"Remember, Bud! Remember!" cried Carson.

"That's it, that's it!" Melvin clapped his two big hands and came
perilously near falling from his point of vantage as Trevors's fists
drove into Lee's body and Lee went reeling back. "Give him hell! A
hundred dollars on Trevors!"

"Take you!" called Carson without withdrawing his eyes from the two
forms reeling up and down, back and forth across the room.

"Done!" cried Melvin. "Trevors, a hundred dollars----"

He broke off, forgetful of his own words. The two men met again, clung
to each other in a ludicrous embrace, broke asunder, and Lee struck so
that his fist, landing fair upon Trevors's chin, hurled the bigger man
back, stumbling, falling----

But not fallen. For his back found the wall and saved him. As Lee
came on, rushing at him like a man gone mad, Trevors slipped aside and
struck back, for the critical moment gaining time to breathe. He spat,
wiped his bloody mouth with the back of his hand and again eluded a
rushing attack by ducking and stepping to one side. And ever, when he
sought to save his own body, he struck back, grunting audibly with the
effort.

They fought everywhere, up and down, back and forth, until every foot
of the floor felt their heavy boots, until each of them was fighting
with all of the force that lay in him, fighting with that swelling
anger which grows at leaps and bounds when two men strive body to body,
when the hot breath of one mingles with the hot breath of the other,
when red rage looking out of one pair of eyes sees its reflection in
the other. Again and again Melvin muttered: "An even break! By God,
an even break!" And over and over did Carson's heart rise in his
breast as he saw Bud Lee drive Trevors, and over and over did his heart
sink when he saw Lee sway and reel under the sledge-hammer blows
beating at face and body.

In the beginning there had been in Bud Lee's mind but the one thought:
This man had laid his hands upon Judith; this man must be punished and