dly seated upon stools and each was
fanned furiously with a towel by one second, while the other bathed his
neck and face with cold water. A hum of conversation arose.

"Who is the blooming duck?" whispered the druggist to his principal
second. "'E ain't no bleeding dude, I can tell yer."

But before the man had time to reply, the gong sounded the call of
"time," and the men sprang forward to the middle of the ring.

There was no sparring this time--they went at it biff, bang, right and
left, sending in their blows with all the power of their muscular
bodies. The Referee, almost dancing with excitement, shouted to them to
"break away," and tried to part them when they clinched, but they were
no sooner separated than they closed again, fighting with the energy and
tenacity of bull-dogs.

Just before time was up, the drug clerk swung his right and caught the
gentleman of finance fair and square on the nose, with the result that
Prescott was awarded first blood and first knock-down, amid great
excitement.

During the one minute's rest the seconds did wonders. The men were
sponged and rubbed, while fanned constantly with a large towel, water
was squirted on their heads and the back of their necks, and at the
sound of the gong each arose from his stool looking as fresh as at the
start.

_Round 3_ opened as though it would be a repetition of the hurricane
style of fighting of the previous round, but after a clinch or two and
giving and receiving a few good blows, the men kept apart and fought
more warily. Each had evidently become satisfied that the other was not
quite the easy victim he had expected; and as this conviction gradually
dawned upon them they dropped the rough and tumble style and fought
with more skill and caution, each watching and waiting for an opening,
hoping for a chance for a "knock-out," but none came, and the round
closed with honors even.

During the intermission Watkins, the sheriff, who was acting as Referee,
talked earnestly with a friend, and from time to time looked hard at the
drug clerk. He turned towards the time-keeper and seemed about to say
something, when the bell rang and the men were again in the middle of
the ring.

_Round 4_ had commenced.

They were both fresh and eager, but business was written all over their
hard faces,--they were not smiling now. Round and round they moved,
constantly facing each other, their arms moving back and forth like a
machine. Now and then one or