t man. Is that Pat
Hanrahan's mug looking hungry and willing? Come on, Pat." Pat
Hanrahan, ex-bare-knuckle-prize fighter and roughhouse-expert, stepped
forth. The two men came against each other in grips, and almost before
he had exerted himself the Irishman found himself in the merciless vise
of a half-Nelson that buried him head and shoulders in the snow. Joe
Hines, ex-lumber-jack, came down with an impact equal to a fall from a
two-story building--his overthrow accomplished by a cross-buttock,
delivered, he claimed, before he was ready.

There was nothing exhausting in all this to Daylight. He did not heave
and strain through long minutes. No time, practically, was occupied.
His body exploded abruptly and terrifically in one instant, and on the
next instant was relaxed. Thus, Doc Watson, the gray-bearded, iron
bodied man without a past, a fighting terror himself, was overthrown in
the fraction of a second preceding his own onslaught. As he was in the
act of gathering himself for a spring, Daylight was upon him, and with
such fearful suddenness as to crush him backward and down. Olaf
Henderson, receiving his cue from this, attempted to take Daylight
unaware, rushing upon him from one side as he stooped with extended
hand to help Doc Watson up. Daylight dropped on his hands and knees,
receiving in his side Olaf's knees. Olaf's momentum carried him clear
over the obstruction in a long, flying fall. Before he could rise,
Daylight had whirled him over on his back and was rubbing his face and
ears with snow and shoving handfuls down his neck. "Ay ban yust as
good a man as you ban, Daylight," Olaf spluttered, as he pulled himself
to his feet; "but by Yupiter, I ban navver see a grip like that."
French Louis was the last of the five, and he had seen enough to make
him cautious. He circled and baffled for a full minute before coming
to grips; and for another full minute they strained and reeled without
either winning the advantage. And then, just as the contest was
becoming interesting, Daylight effected one of his lightning shifts,
changing all stresses and leverages and at the same time delivering one
of his muscular explosions. French Louis resisted till his huge frame
crackled, and then, slowly, was forced over and under and downward.

"The winner pays!" Daylight cried; as he sprang to his feet and led the
way back into the Tivoli. "Surge along you-all! This way to the
snake-room!"

They lined up agai