‘Why don’t you stand up and fight him like a Briton?’ cried one of the supporters of the big digger.

‘He’s fightin’ fair, an’ as long as he fights fair he’ll fight as he dom well pleases!’ said Ben Kyley, who had constituted himself referee.

Already Quigley was bleeding freely and panting from his exertions, while Done, who betrayed no excitement and conserved his energies with miserly care, was no more disturbed than if he had been taking a hand at cards.  He faced his foe as before, presenting as little as possible of his body for a target, and met Pete’s rush this time with an adroit side movement and a heavy lifting blow in the body that made Quigley gasp, and robbed him of the little bit of sense that had remained.  He went blundering at Jim, lashing out with left and right.  There was a rapid exchange, and using his guard arm in offence for the first time, Jim sent in a swinging blow that crashed on Pete’s chin; and Pete dropped as if his legs had suddenly broken under him, and lay in a grotesque attitude, his cheek pressed to the earthen floor, while the assembled miners sent up yells of excitement that presently settled into a babel of criticism.

Quigley made an effort to rise, but collapsed, and was lifted into his corner, and freely sprayed and towelled by his seconds.  Jim sat unmoved, while Mike and an aristocratic digger, known as the Prodigal, fanned him with the towels Mrs. Kyley had thoughtfully provided.

Quigley came up again at the call.  He was still blinking and a little dazed, but far from being beaten, and the first round had taught him a lesson.  He advanced more warily, displaying some little respect for his enemy’s darting left, but Jim’s tactics puzzled and disgusted him.  The young man was as nimble as a cat, and no matter how Pete pushed him, he always broke ground and slipped away when it seemed that his towering opponent had him at his mercy.

‘Why don’t you fight, blast yer!’ stuttered Pete, swinging on the runaway for the third time in two minutes.

‘Yes, stand up to it.  This ain’t a dancing lesson!’ his second growled.

Jim’s answer was a quick feint and a hard drive on the nose with the left, following up quickly with the right on Quigley’s ear.  Both blows sank in deeply, and Jim eluded Pete’s rush, jumped out of his reach, and, coming at him from the side, punched him heavily in the neck, whereat Mike and his friends clamoured joyously.  Quigley rushed at Jim, spitting oaths, but he was a better fighter than he appeared to be, and was prepared for the other’s swift, cutting left hand by this, and, ducking, he landed both fists on Jim’s body.  Jim countered on the ear and neck, there was a fierce rally that set the crowd jumping and shouting madly, and Jim slid out and skipped away, then got back at Pete before he had quite realized what had happened with a powerful blow over the kidneys.