LeNoir. Here!" he offered the other side of his face. LeNoir danced up
carefully, made a slight pass, and struck the offered cheek.

"Now, that is done, will it please you to do it again?" said Macdonald,
with earnest entreaty in his voice. LeNoir must have been mad with his
rage and vanity, else he had caught the glitter in the blue eyes looking
through the shaggy hair. Again LeNoir approached, this time with greater
confidence, and dealt Macdonald a stinging blow on the side of the head.

"Now the Lord be praised," he cried, joy breaking out in his face. "He
has delivered my enemy into my hand. For it is the third time he has
smitten me, and that is beyond the limit appointed by Himself." With
this he advanced upon LeNoir with a glad heart. His conscience was clear
at last.

LeNoir stood up against his antagonist. He well knew he was about to
make the fight of his life. He had beaten men as big as Macdonald, but
he knew that his hope lay in keeping out of the enemy's reach. So he
danced around warily. Macdonald followed him slowly. LeNoir opened with
a swift and savage reach for Macdonald's neck, but failed to break the
guard and danced out again, Macdonald still pressing on him. Again
and again LeNoir rushed, but the guard was impregnable, and steadily
Macdonald advanced. That steady, relentless advance began to tell on the
Frenchman's nerves. The sweat gathered in big drops on his forehead and
ran down his face. He prepared for a supreme effort. Swiftly retreating,
he lured Macdonald to a more rapid advance, then with a yell he doubled
himself into a ball and delivered himself head, hands, and feet into
Macdonald's stomach. It is a trick that sometimes avails to break an
unsteady guard and to secure a clinch with an unwary opponent. But
Macdonald had been waiting for that trick. Stopping short, he leaned