Cinder Path Tales

200 CINDER-PATH TALES Paddy's guard, sohe could swing on him. As usual, he landed on Paddy's nose, the blood startingfreely; but instead of answer­ ing with a blind swing as before, this time Paddy took the blow coming on; indeed, he started in before he was hit, and the blow did not stop him at all. The result was, he found himself, for the first time, almost, since he had put his hands up, at a good striking distance.With a fiercegrunt he smashed his huge fist full on the markwhere the ribsbranch, justabove the belt. It was a terrible blow, unexpected, given with all the good intentions thatsense ofdebt could foster, and with the impetus of their two weights, for Johnson was coming i himself. It doubled his antagonist up like a frog, and Paddywas kind enoughto undouble him with a straightpush inthe face thatstraight­ ened him up again, Harry couldnot refrain from calling, "Now's your time, Pat!" for which he was very properly warned by the referee; but Paddy really did not hear him, and needed no advice. Science was forgot­ ten, and in the mix-up that followed, Paddy showed a ready hand, cultivated by many a boyish fight and youthful set-to. Johnson was now not so much interested in putting Paddy out, as in saving himself; he was fighting blindly, hugging andclinching when