CHAPTER V
THE FIGHT
The champion of the _Indefatigable_ had not yet appeared on deck; andthe crew of the _Queen Mary_ strained their necks hunting him out.
"Bring out your champion!" they called. "What's the matter with him? Ishe afraid?"
The men of the _Indefatigable_ returned these compliments with jeers oftheir 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 youare 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 beno dishonor to you if you wish to withdraw. A man must be in perfecttrim to stand before Harris."
"Why," said Jack, in surprise, "I can hardly do that now, sir. The menare depending on me."
Captain Raleigh smiled frankly.
"You are all right, boy," he said. "At your first words I thought youwere afraid. But you cannot hope for victory."
"I always hope for victory, sir, and I shall do my best. I am nonovice."
"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 hissize and has a terrible right-hand punch. I have seen him box often. Ifyou are decided to go on with this, a word of warning. Watch that righthand 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 luckto 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 gothrough with it."
"By Jove! a fine spirit!" exclaimed Captain Reynolds. "I hope he is nottoo easily disposed of."
"I don't think he will be," said Captain Raleigh, quietly. "Someway, Ihave 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 whoJack's opponent would be; and after a look at Harris, they becamestrangely 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 theirinstructions.
"No hitting in clinches, and clean breaks," he said.
Jack and Harris nodded that they understood. As the two stood theretogether, the crowd sized them up.
Jack, standing well above six feet, still was not as tall as hisopponent, who topped him by a full inch. Their arms were about of alength, but Harris was big through the chest and his arms seemed morepowerful than Jack's. A close observer, however, would have seen thatwhile Jack was in perfect physical condition, Harris carried a trifletoo much fat--not much, but still a trifle. With the battle anywherenear equal, this fat might prove to Jack's advantage.
Jack's arms showed strength, but the muscles were not knotted likethose of Harris. Harris was perhaps twenty-eight years old, Jack almostten years younger. Jack had the youth, but Harris had the experience ofmany hard encounters. It appeared that the odds were heavily againstJack.
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 makethis short"--the referee had announced that the match was to be for tenrounds.
"Don't worry about me," said Jack. "I can take care of myself. If thematch 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 hishead, apparently trying to make good his word to end the battle atonce. The blow missed Jack's face by the fraction of an inch. Harrisfollowed 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 couldrecover, Jack stepped quickly forward and planted a sharp right and ahard left to Harris' nose. Harris stepped back and wiped away a streamof red.
It was first blood for Jack and the crew of the _Queen Mary_ sent up awild cheer.
But Harris only smiled. He was not to be caught so easily again.
These two blows had given the _Indefatigable_ champion some respect forJack's ability. He advanced more carefully this time. He feintedrapidly and shot his left forward, quickly followed by his right. ButJack had not been deceived and caught both blows upon his forearms.
"You're all right, boy," said Harris, admiringly, "It's a pleasure tobox 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 oneknee.
"Hit him when he gets up!" came a cry from the crowd.
Instead, Jack lowered his guard and extended a hand. He helped hisopponent 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 backsuddenly, for something had suddenly come up under his chin withterrible force. In a moment Jack realized what _it_ was. It wasHarris' right, which Captain Raleigh had warned him against. Had theblow been timed perfectly, Jack realized, the fight would have beenover then and there.
Guarding desperately, Jack managed to fall into a clinch, where he hungon 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 hisseconds, as he again advanced into the ring.
Again the lad assumed the offensive, keeping careful eye on hisopponent's right fist. Again Harris tried to reach Jack's chin, butthis time Jack blocked the blow. He knew he would not be caught thatway again. Jack feinted three times, twice with his left and once withhis right, and then the right crashed against Harris' ear. The manstaggered back and before he could recover Jack planted two hard blows--right and left--to his sore nose. Desperately, Harris rushed into aclinch.
Again the crew of the _Queen Mary_ cheered.
"And what do you think of that, eh?" asked Captain Raleigh of CaptainReynolds.
"The boy is a fighter," was the latter's reply. "But wait; experiencewill tell."
Harris became more cautious. He circled around Jack, lightly, dancingabout on his toes. The lad followed him quietly. Suddenly, Harris' leftfist shot out. Jack blocked, but before he could recover, Harrislaunched himself like a catapult and a series of right and leftsdescended on Jack's face, neck, ears and abdomen.
Jack staggered back and Harris followed him closely, giving him no restJack was still retreating at the bell.
Again in the third and in the fourth round Jack seemed to be gettingthe worst of it. In the fifth he braced and sent in as good as hereceived. In the sixth he almost floored Harris with a straight rightto the side of the jaw; and in the seventh Harris was kept on thedefensive.
But in the eighth Jack again encountered Harris' right and the force ofthe blow sent him reeling. All through the round Harris followed upthis advantage, and at the bell, it seemed that Jack would be unable tocontinue the fight.
But his head cleared in the one minute rest period; and he foughtthrough 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, itmust be by a knockout. So, while Harris was trying in vain to put in afinishing punch, Jack husbanded his strength, determined to make astrong effort in the final round.
The rest refreshed him still more; and as time was called for thetenth, Jack cast discretion to the winds and leaped forward.
In spite of this, he was cool, however, and kept his eye peeled for themovement 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 andbacked against the ropes; but he bounded out with great force andlanded 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 beenwatching. Harris again was about to launch that terrible right. The ladwaited calmly.
"Swish!"
It flashed forth faster than the eye could see. But it had not come tooquick for Jack, who was expecting it.
The blow was aimed for the point of the chin and would have ended thefight right there. But, judging the distance exactly, Jack moved hishead a trifle to one side; and Harris' fist flashed by his chin by thefraction 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 cameforward again, Jack pivoted on his heel and struck with his right.
He had judged the time and the distance perfectly. His right fistcaught 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 ofthe last round to go, Jack had knocked the man out and won the day forthe _Queen Mary_ by a score of twelve to nine.
And the crew cheered again!