THE FIGHT
The champion of the _Indefatigable_ had not yet appeared on deck; and
the crew of the _Queen Mary_ strained their necks hunting him out.
"Bring out your champion!" they called. "What's the matter with him? Is
he afraid?"
The men of the _Indefatigable_ returned these compliments with jeers of
their own.
"Oh, just wait!" they howled.
Captain Raleigh, in the meantime, had approached Jack and his seconds.
"It is only fair to warn you," he said quietly, "that the man whom you
are to oppose is Tim Harris, champion of the British fleet."
Jack was surprised.
"I didn't know that, sir. I thought he was with the _Queen Elizabeth_."
"Well, he's here; but I didn't know it until a moment ago. It will be
no dishonor to you if you wish to withdraw. A man must be in perfect
trim to stand before Harris."
"Why," said Jack, in surprise, "I can hardly do that now, sir. The men
are depending on me."
Captain Raleigh smiled frankly.
"You are all right, boy," he said. "At your first words I thought you
were afraid. But you cannot hope for victory."
"I always hope for victory, sir, and I shall do my best. I am no
novice."
"Perhaps not; but Harris is almost a professional; in fact, I may say,
a good deal better than many professionals. He is fast for a man of his
size and has a terrible right-hand punch. I have seen him box often. If
you are decided to go on with this, a word of warning. Watch that right
hand of his like you would a hawk."
"I shall remember, sir," replied Jack. "Thank you."
"All right then," said Captain Raleigh. "I like your spunk. Good luck
to you."
Captain Raleigh walked back to Captain Reynold's side.
"Will he withdraw?" asked the latter.
"He will not. He says the men are depending on him and he must go
through with it."
"By Jove! a fine spirit!" exclaimed Captain Reynolds. "I hope he is not
too easily disposed of."
"I don't think he will be," said Captain Raleigh, quietly. "Someway, I
have a feeling that you haven't carried off the honors yet."
"But it's foolish to talk like that, Raleigh," said Captain Reynolds.
"You know this man, Harris."
"I suppose it is foolish, but it's the way I feel just the same. Ah!
There's Harris now."
Tim Harris had appeared on deck; and the crew of the _Indefatigable_
went wild. Now for the first time the crew of the _Queen Mary_ knew who
Jack's opponent would be; and after a look at Harris, they became
strangely silent. Then one voice called:
"Never mind who he is. Templeton can lick him, anyhow!"
The others took up the cry and Jack smiled.
Now the referee called the principals to him and gave them their
instructions.
"No hitting in clinches, and clean breaks," he said.
Jack and Harris nodded that they understood. As the two stood there
together, the crowd sized them up.
Jack, standing well above six feet, still was not as tall as his
opponent, who topped him by a full inch. Their arms were about of a
length, but Harris was big through the chest and his arms seemed more
powerful than Jack's. A close observer, however, would have seen that
while Jack was in perfect physical condition, Harris carried a trifle
too much fat--not much, but still a trifle. With the battle anywhere
near equal, this fat might prove to Jack's advantage.
Jack's arms showed strength, but the muscles were not knotted like
those of Harris. Harris was perhaps twenty-eight years old, Jack almost
ten years younger. Jack had the youth, but Harris had the experience of
many hard encounters. It appeared that the odds were heavily against
Jack.
Jack and Harris sized each other carefully. Jack smiled. So did Harris.
As they touched gloves, Harris said:
"You're a nice boy. I don't want to hurt you too much, so I'll make
this short"--the referee had announced that the match was to be for ten
rounds.
"Don't worry about me," said Jack. "I can take care of myself. If the
match is short you won't find me on the deck."
Harris would have replied, but at that moment the referee called:
"Time!"
Jack leaped lightly backward even as Harris aimed a vicious blow at his
head, apparently trying to make good his word to end the battle at
once. The blow missed Jack's face by the fraction of an inch. Harris
followed up this blow with a right and left, which Jack blocked neatly,
and then brought his right up, trying to upper cut.
Jack leaped backward and the blow grazed his chin. Before Harris could
recover, Jack stepped quickly forward and planted a sharp right and a
hard left to Harris' nose. Harris stepped back and wiped away a stream
of red.
It was first blood for Jack and the crew of the _Queen Mary_ sent up a
wild cheer.
But Harris only smiled. He was not to be caught so easily again.
These two blows had given the _Indefatigable_ champion some respect for
Jack's ability. He advanced more carefully this time. He feinted
rapidly and shot his left forward, quickly followed by his right. But
Jack had not been deceived and caught both blows upon his forearms.
"You're all right, boy," said Harris, admiringly, "It's a pleasure to
box with you."
"And I may say the same," said Jack.
They fell to it again.
As Harris stepped quickly forward his foot slipped and he fell to one
knee.
"Hit him when he gets up!" came a cry from the crowd.
Instead, Jack lowered his guard and extended a hand. He helped his
opponent to his feet. Then he stepped back and the battle continued.
Now Jack decided that he would feel the other out. He feinted rapidly,
once, twice, and struck out with a right; and he staggered back
suddenly, for something had suddenly come up under his chin with
terrible force. In a moment Jack realized what _it_ was. It was
Harris' right, which Captain Raleigh had warned him against. Had the
blow been timed perfectly, Jack realized, the fight would have been
over then and there.
Guarding desperately, Jack managed to fall into a clinch, where he hung
on until his head cleared. As he stepped back the referee called time.
The first round was Harris' by the margin of that hard uppercut.
"I'll be a little more careful of that right," Jack confided to his
seconds, as he again advanced into the ring.
Again the lad assumed the offensive, keeping careful eye on his
opponent's right fist. Again Harris tried to reach Jack's chin, but
this time Jack blocked the blow. He knew he would not be caught that
way again. Jack feinted three times, twice with his left and once with
his right, and then the right crashed against Harris' ear. The man
staggered back and before he could recover Jack planted two hard blows
--right and left--to his sore nose. Desperately, Harris rushed into a
clinch.
Again the crew of the _Queen Mary_ cheered.
"And what do you think of that, eh?" asked Captain Raleigh of Captain
Reynolds.
"The boy is a fighter," was the latter's reply. "But wait; experience
will tell."
Harris became more cautious. He circled around Jack, lightly, dancing
about on his toes. The lad followed him quietly. Suddenly, Harris' left
fist shot out. Jack blocked, but before he could recover, Harris
launched himself like a catapult and a series of right and lefts
descended on Jack's face, neck, ears and abdomen.
Jack staggered back and Harris followed him closely, giving him no rest
Jack was still retreating at the bell.
Again in the third and in the fourth round Jack seemed to be getting
the worst of it. In the fifth he braced and sent in as good as he
received. In the sixth he almost floored Harris with a straight right
to the side of the jaw; and in the seventh Harris was kept on the
defensive.
But in the eighth Jack again encountered Harris' right and the force of
the blow sent him reeling. All through the round Harris followed up
this advantage, and at the bell, it seemed that Jack would be unable to
continue the fight.
But his head cleared in the one minute rest period; and he fought
through the ninth round carefully. The lad realized now that, so far,
Harris had the better of the encounter and that, if he hoped to win, it
must be by a knockout. So, while Harris was trying in vain to put in a
finishing punch, Jack husbanded his strength, determined to make a
strong effort in the final round.
The rest refreshed him still more; and as time was called for the
tenth, Jack cast discretion to the winds and leaped forward.
In spite of this, he was cool, however, and kept his eye peeled for the
movement that would tell him Harris was about to launch his right.
A right and left he landed to Harris' sore nose. Then Harris rushed.
Jack was forced back around the ring by the force of this rush and
backed against the ropes; but he bounded out with great force and
landed a vicious left to the side of Harris' jaw. Then they clinched.
As the referee parted them, Jack saw the movement for which he had been
watching. Harris again was about to launch that terrible right. The lad
waited calmly.
"Swish!"
It flashed forth faster than the eye could see. But it had not come too
quick for Jack, who was expecting it.
The blow was aimed for the point of the chin and would have ended the
fight right there. But, judging the distance exactly, Jack moved his
head a trifle to one side; and Harris' fist flashed by his chin by the
fraction of an inch.
With all his force behind the blow, Jack put a straight left to Harris'
jaw. A terrible jolt to the abdomen followed; and, as Harris head came
forward again, Jack pivoted on his heel and struck with his right.
He had judged the time and the distance perfectly. His right fist
caught Harris squarely upon the point of the chin. There was a "smack"
that could be heard even above the cheering of the _Queen Mary's_ crew,
followed by a crash as Harris fell to the deck. With half a minute of
the last round to go, Jack had knocked the man out and won the day for
the _Queen Mary_ by a score of twelve to nine.
And the crew cheered again!