The youth thus addressed sprang lightly to the shore. He was of fair size, but, contrasted with Am'ycus, he looked much as one would imagine King Da'vid did when he went out against Goli'ath, with his sling and stone.

The Bebry'cian seemed to feel insulted, very much like his Philis'tine brother; and while not intending to let down his dignity enough to fight with such a paltry foe, he concluded he would send him back with a headache, and teach him not to meddle with professional gentlemen. He accordingly advanced to where the young man stood, and aimed a wicked cuff at his left ear. Polydeu'ces stood still as a stone till the enormous hand had almost reached him, when he suddenly ducked his head; and before the astonished king could recover, the young boxer dealt him a tremendous counter on the jaw.

CHAPTER XI.

AMYCUS MEETS HIS MATCH.

The giant with the wound

Fell flat, and stretched his bulk unwieldy on the ground.
But soon his vigor and his strength returned,

He rose, and then again the battle burned :
With iron hands their hollow sides they pound,
And deal vindictive many a desperate wound.

M'YCUS was surprised. Yes, he was doubly surprised. He didn't find the object at which he struck, and something hit him that was hard and unexpected. When he came to himself a little, he saw the fellow whom he had so lately looked upon with contempt, holding his sides and shaking with laughter. The giant rose and made a rush,

1 Appendix, Note 25.

but found his adversary like the Frenchman's flea somewhere else.

"Not so fast, my good friend," said the youthful boxer, as he skilfully evaded the furious rushes which Am'ycus still made, “let us put on the gloves first."

The Bebry'cian king paused for breath at last, and the Ar'gonaut repeated:

66

Come, friend; let's put on the gloves and take a turn."

Am'ycus discovered that he had no mean antagonist after all, and so he choked back his rage and growled :

"If thou wilt rashly rush to sudden death, then meet me in the ring, and I will scatter thy brains upon the sand, and leave thy bones to whiten on the beach."

"Thank you," said Polydeu'ces.

Preparations were at once made for the combat. The Argonauts left the ship, and stood around the combatants in a circle, side by side with the natives who had flocked down to see the bloody sport. Four of Am'ycus' subjects now approached, bearing two huge pairs of box

ing-gloves, which they laid at the giant's feet. The braggart tossed one pair towards our friend Polydeu'ces, who bowed in acknowledgment, but said:

"I'll wear my own cestus, if you please," and ran back to the Ar'go to procure them.1

While waiting for him to return, let me tell you that the boxing-gloves of those times, or the cestus as the Greeks called them, were not designed like those of modern days, to make the hard knocks easier to bear.2 The Latin poet, Ver'gil, says in describing those of E'ryx"Seven hides of great oxen were stiffened with in-sewed lead and iron." So you see they more nearly resembled brass knuckles than sporting gloves.

And really, their object was to lend additional force to blows-inertia, the philosophers call it -just as a boy can jump farther with a brick in each hand. The cestus were made of strips of raw hide, fastened end to end, so as to form one continuous string or thong. This was then wound about the hand and arm, nearly to the

1 Appendix, Note 26.

2 Appendix, Note 27.

elbow. Over the knuckles, as well as in sonic other parts, there were usually fastened bits of iron, or some heavy metal, to make the blows more terrible.

Polydeu'ces quickly returned, and each side helped its duelist array himself for the fight. At length all was ready, and the ring enlarged as the two boxers, of such unequal size, stepped forth to meet each other.

Am'ycus had learned wisdom from his first vainglorious attempt, and advanced more warily. His adversary moved forward a few paces, and then stood with both arms hanging by his sides, and a slight smile on his face, gazing with unquailing eye upon the approaching giant, whose features were working with ill-suppressed rage. For a moment the braggart paused, after he came within striking distance, and then No one could tell what followed, save that the Bebry'cian monarch launched the first blow. Then there ensued such a confused mingling of arms, upward, downward, hither, thither, forward, backward, like flashes of light, that it was impossible to tell who struck or who parried.