With his left hand, Nicolas jerked the big Cossack forward again, and shot his right fist into Ivan’s face as he did so.  Then, apparently thinking his opponent done for, he released his grip on Ivan’s throat and stepped back.

But he had counted without the endurance and courage of the giant Cossack.  The fingers about his throat gone, Ivan, his head reeling dizzily from the effects of the hold and the two hard blows, staggered back several paces; then, with a loud cry, sprang forward again.

Nicolas also cried aloud as he stepped forward to meet the antagonist he considered all but beaten.  Ivan came forward with arms outstretched, and unheeding the two hard blows that Nicolas struck him, he again grasped the Montenegrin in a tight embrace.  Nicolas wrapped his arms about Ivan; and there they stood for the space of several seconds, each vainly trying to move the other.

Suddenly Ivan gave back a step and as Nicolas came forward with him, the Cossack thrust a leg behind his opponent and pushed with all his might.  Nicolas was caught off his balance and before he could recover himself Ivan twisted sharply with his leg.  Nicolas went over backwards, with Ivan on top of him.

The two men struck the floor with a terrible crash; a cry was wrung from the spectators, for it seemed that a fall with such force could mean nothing less than broken bones for one of the fighters.  But apparently it did not; for, still locked in each other’s embrace, the men were struggling furiously for advantage upon the floor.

Ivan was still on top, but the Montenegrin, with both arms around the Cossack’s neck, was making desperate efforts to roll his opponent over.

Nicolas lay squarely upon his back and Ivan’s arms, wrapped around him at the moment of encounter, were pinioned beneath the other.  The big Cossack was making strenuous attempts to free his right hand and still hold his opponent down with his great bulk.  And at last he succeeded.

At the same moment Nicolas also released his hold and flopped over on his face.  Apparently he had given up all hope of overcoming Ivan and was now acting purely upon the defensive.  Ivan acted too late to prevent his opponent from turning over, but now he seized him by both shoulders, and planting his feet firmly upon the ground, by a mighty effort, jerked Nicolas to his feet.

It was a marvelous exhibition of strength and brought a cry from Stubbs, than whom there was no more interested spectator of the struggle.  Nicolas now whirled suddenly and his right fist caught Ivan a terrible and unexpected jolt on the point of the chin.  Ivan reeled back several paces and Nicolas followed him closely, shouting: 

“I’ve got you!”

The words seemed to have a strange effect upon Ivan.  He seemed to recover himself with an effort and his right and left fists shot almost simultaneously in mighty blows.  The first went wild, but the second caught Nicolas squarely upon the side of the neck and checked his rush.  Before he could give ground, Ivan brought his huge right fist forward again to the point of Nicolas’ chin.  The Montenegrin reeled.