“One—­two—­three—­four—­five—­six—­”

“Time!” said the referee.

Then the pent-up passion of the great assembly broke loose.  Croxley gave a deep groan of disappointment.  The Wilsons were on their feet, yelling with delight.  There was still a chance for them.  In four more seconds their man would have been solemnly counted out.  But now he had a minute in which to recover.  The referee looked round with relaxed features and laughing eyes.  He loved this rough game, this school for humble heroes, and it was pleasant to him to intervene as a Deus ex machina at so dramatic a moment.  His chair and his hat were both tilted at an extreme angle; he and the timekeeper smiled at each other.  Ted Barton and the other second had rushed out and thrust an arm each under Montgomery’s knee, the other behind his loins, and so carried him back to his stool.  His head lolled upon his shoulder, but a douche of cold water sent a shiver through him, and he started and looked round him.

“He’s a’ right!” cried the people round.  “He’s a rare brave lad.  Good lad!  Good lad!” Barton poured some brandy into his mouth.  The mists cleared a little, and he realised where he was and what he had to do.  But he was still very weak, and he hardly dared to hope that he could survive another round.

“Seconds out of the ring!” cried the referee.  “Time!”

The Croxley Master sprang eagerly off his stool.

“Keep clear of him!  Go easy for a bit,” said Barton, and Montgomery walked out to meet his man once more.

He had had two lessons—­the one when the Master got him into his corner, the other when he had been lured into mixing it up with so powerful an antagonist.  Now he would be wary.  Another blow would finish him; he could afford to run no risks.  The Master was determined to follow up his advantage, and rushed at him, slogging furiously right and left.  But Montgomery was too young and active to be caught.  He was strong upon his legs once more, and his wits had all come back to him.  It was a gallant sight—­the line-of-battleship trying to pour its overwhelming broadside into the frigate, and the frigate manoeuvring always so as to avoid it.  The Master tried all his ring-craft.  He coaxed the student up by pretended inactivity; he rushed at him with furious rushes towards the ropes.  For three rounds he exhausted every wile in trying to get at him.  Montgomery during all this time was conscious that his strength was minute by minute coming back to him.  The spinal jar from an upper-cut is overwhelming, but evanescent.  He was losing all sense of it beyond a great stiffness of the neck.  For the first round after his downfall he had been content to be entirely on the defensive, only too happy if he could stall off the furious attacks of the Master.  In the second he occasionally ventured upon a light counter.  In the third he was smacking back merrily where he saw an opening.  His people yelled their approval of him at the end of every round.  Even the iron-workers cheered him with that fine unselfishness which true sport engenders.  To most of them, unspiritual and unimaginative, the sight of this clean-limbed young Apollo, rising above disaster and holding on while consciousness was in him to his appointed task, was the greatest thing their experience had ever known.