While Tubbs was hesitating Jolliby gave him a tap on the nose that brought tears into his eyes. With a wild squeal, the fat boy leaped into the air and began putting on the gloves. With difficulty he was repressed while they were tied at the wrists, and when everything was ready the two boys squared away. “Now if you want to see science,” said the fat boy, flourishing his hands wildly, “jest you keep your optics on me. I’ll show you some kinks that will make you wink.” It was indeed a comical spectacle to see the tall, thin chap and the fat, rotund lad get at it. Instantly at the word they made a jump at each other. Jolliby shut his eyes and thrust out his long left arm. Tubbs ran plumb against it and sat down heavily. “Hold on, dern your picter!” exclaimed Obed. “That ain’t fair! That ain’t no way to box! Why don’t you do it right?” “I guess that was gug-gug-gug-good enough for you,” laughed Chip, dancing around his antagonist and making some curious flourishes with his hands. “Hope you ain’t going to quit as sus-soon as this.” “You hold on!” said Tubbs, slowly getting onto his hands and knees and rolling up his eyes at Jolliby. “Don’t you do a thing till I straighten up. I’m going to swat you in the solar system.” Having risen to his feet, Tubbs began to prance round with the grace of a baby elephant. Jolliby followed him up and struck at him repeatedly, but Obediah managed to keep out of reach every time. Finally the tall boy grew weary and disgusted. “This is no running mum-mum-mum-mum-match!” he panted, as he lowered his hands and stood glaring resentfully at Obediah. “I can’t chase you all over the county.” “Got enough?” asked Obed, insinuatingly, as he approached Chip. “Not by a juj-juj-juj-jugful!” “Then take that!” cried the fat boy, as he delivered a swinging blow that landed in the pit of Jolliby’s stomach. Chip was doubled up like a jackknife. As he remained clasping his stomach and gasping, Obediah once more danced round, waving his hands in the air and crying: “I guess that jarred you some!” “That was fuf-fuf-fuf-foul!” came quickly from Jolliby. “Didn’t nobody call time that I heard,” said Obed. “I asked you if you had enough and you said you didn’t. I thought I’d give yer some more.” “Oh, you dud-dud-dud-did, hey?” cried the tall boy fiercely, as he straightened up. “That’s the way you dud-dud-dud-do it, hey? Well, just dud-dud-dud-do it some more!” The encounter that followed convulsed every witness with laughter. Both lads seemed to close their eyes whenever they got into close connection, and at least nine out of ten of their blows were wasted on the empty air. Indeed, at one time they were actually back to back and still punching away with their eyes tightly closed. Finally Jolliby caught Obediah’s head under his arm and held it thus, while he threatened to smash the fat boy with his free hand.