fence between him and the apple
orchard. He was rather astonished to see Courtlandt kneeling in the
clover-patch, hunting for a four-leaf clover. It was patent that the young
man was not troubled with nerves.

"Here!" he cried, bruskly, tossing over a pair of gloves. "If this method
of settling the dispute isn't satisfactory, I'll accept your
explanations."

For reply Courtlandt stood up and stripped to his undershirt. He drew on
the gloves and laced them with the aid of his teeth. Then he kneaded them
carefully. The two men eyed each other a little more respectfully than
they had ever done before.

"This single court is about as near as we can make it. The man who steps
outside is whipped."

"I agree," said Courtlandt.

"No rounds with rests; until one or the other is outside. Clean breaks.
That's about all. Now, put up your dukes and take a man's licking. I
thought you were your father's son, but I guess you are like the rest of
'em, hunters of women."

Courtlandt laughed and stepped to the middle of the court. Harrigan did
not waste any time. He sent in a straight jab to the jaw, but Courtlandt
blocked it neatly and countered with a hard one on Harrigan's ear, which
began to swell.

"Fine!" growled Harrigan. "You know something about the game. It won't be
as if I was walloping a baby." He sent a left to the body, but the right
failed to reach his man.

For some time Harrigan jabbed and swung and upper-cut; often he reached
his opponent's body, but never his face. It worried him a little to find
that he could not stir Courtlandt more than two or three feet. Courtlandt
never followed up any advantage, thus making Harrigan force the fighting,
which was rather to his liking. But presently it began to enter his mind
convincingly that apart from the initial blow, the younger man was working
wholly on the defensive. As if he were afraid he might hurt him! This
served to make the old fellow furious. He bored in right and left, left
and right, and Courtlandt gave way, step by step until he was so close to
the line that he could see it from the corner of his eye. This glance,
swift as it was, came near to being his undoing. Harrigan caught him with
a terrible right on the jaw. It was a glancing blow, otherwise the fight
would have ended then and there. Instantly he lurched forward and clenched
before the other could add the finishing touch.

The two pushed about, Harrigan fiercely striving to break the younger
man'