ush dude, or I'll give
yer a poke right here."

Several members of the committee hastened to interfere, and put a stop
to all further danger of trouble by hurrying the principals off to their
dressing-rooms to prepare for the contest.

In the ante-room Smith hugged Robinson, and nearly wept with joy when
they were alone.

"Did you take a good look at the stiff?" he gasped. "Why, our man will
punch daylight out of him in two minutes after the gong sounds! Why, I
say this is wrong--it is too easy; I really feel sorry for these
Prescott chaps!"

Robinson chuckled and muttered something about "fools and their money
being soon parted," and then the two worthies repaired to the ringside.

Smith was to be Master of the Ceremonies, and climbing upon the raised
platform he crawled through the ropes, and after looking about him for a
moment, raised his hands to enjoin silence.

"Gentlemen," he said, "I must beg you all to stop smoking. The contest
which is to be held here to-night is to decide the Amateur Championship
of the Territory of Arizona. Nothing is more calculated to incite among
our younger men the love for athletic sports than such competitions,
when conducted in a fair and sportsmanlike manner. I must beg of you
not to allow yourselves to be biased towards indulging in any unseemly
noise in case your favorite should be worsted. What we want is a fair
field and no favoritism, and while we hope our boy will win, none of
you, I am sure, would wish in any way to feel that either man was given
any undue advantage. The men will fight with 3-oz. gloves, Marquis of
Queensbury rules, three minutes to each round, with a minute's rest
between. A man down to get up inside of ten seconds or be counted out.
No hitting in the clinches. Many of you are acquainted with the
gentlemen who are our representatives this evening, but for the benefit
of those who are not I will introduce them."

Waving his hand towards the Prescott pugilist, he said:

"This is Alexander Harrington, amateur champion of the Prescott Athletic
Club, who is, I may say, by profession a popular druggist in the town
from which he comes. [Considerable applause.]

"And this," he continued, pointing to the man who represented the
Phoenix Club, "is J. Francis Livingstone, a young man who has shown
himself to be a good exponent of the noble art, and who is deemed to be
the amateur champion of the Phoenix Athletic Association. As he has
only lately arrived, and