dy. His blows failed of their effect, and some of
Orde's were landing. At length, bewildered more by the continuance than
the violence of the attack, he dropped his ring tactics and closed in to
straight slugging, blow against blow, stand up, give and take.

As he saw his opponent stand, Orde uttered a sound of satisfaction.
He dropped slightly his right shoulder behind his next blow. The glove
crashed straight as a pile-driver through Murphy's upraised hands to
his face, which it met with a smack. The trainer, lifted bodily from
the ground, was hurled through the air, to land doubled up against the
supports of a parallel bars. There he lay quite still, his palms up, his
head sunk forward.

Orde stared at him a moment in astonishment, as though expecting him
to arise. When, however, he perceived that Murphy was in reality
unconscious, he tore off the gloves and ran forward to kneel by the
professional's side.

"I didn't suppose one punch like that would hurt him," he muttered to
the men crowding around. "Especially with the gloves. Do you suppose
he's killed?"

But already Murphy's arms were making aimless motions, and a deep breath
raised his chest.

"He's just knocked out," reassured one of the men, examining the
prostrate handler with a professional attention. "He'll be as good as
ever in five minutes. Here," he commanded one of the gymnasium rubbers
who had appeared, "lend a hand here with some water."

The clubmen crowded about, all talking at once.

"You're a wonder, my friend," said one.

"By Jove, he's hardly breathing fast after all that rushing," said a
second.

"So you didn't think one punch like that would hurt him," quoted another
with good-natured sarcasm.

"No," said Orde, simply. "I've hit men that hard before with my bare
fist."

"Did they survive?"

"Surely."

"What kind of armour-plates were they, in heaven's name?"

Orde had recovered his balance and humour.

"Just plain ordinary rivermen," said he with a laugh.

"Gentlemen," struck in Gerald, "I want to introduce you to my friend."
He performed the introductions. It was necessary for him to explain
apart that Orde was in reality his friend, an amateur, a chance visitor
in the city. All in all, the affair made quite a little stir, and went
far to give Orde a standing with these sport-loving youths.

Finally Gerald and Orde were permitted to finish their gymnasium
practice. Murphy had recovered, and came forward.

"You have a