Spring tried a very hard left at the opening of the third round, which Neate stopped. There were several exchanges, and Neate was laughing happily, or tried to give that appearance. He struck once with his right--his best blow--but it landed on the point of Spring’s elbow, which he had thrown across his face. The impact was tremendous, and the small bone of Neate’s fore-arm was broken. He closed and went down under his man. The champion’s defence seemed to be impregnable, and Neate again experienced the feeling of helplessness, of inferiority which spells defeat. He tried again and again for the head without success, then changed suddenly and attacked the body, only to be stopped once more. Spring countered twice on the nose and threw Neate, whose friends were calling to him to remember his famous right. In the fifth round Spring punished him severely, sending him down at last with a blow on the right ear, and hitting him again as he was falling. To some of Spring’s supporters it appeared as though neither blow had landed and that Neate had gone down without being hit at all. However, Jackson, who was acting as umpire, when appealed to, ruled otherwise. The next round found Bill Neate “with bellows to mend,” whilst his opponent was fresh and confident. Spring hit him twice on the face and knocked him down. The champion refused to run any risks though it was clearly evident by now that he had his man beaten. He stepped away from his blows, and refused to run risks by dashing heedlessly in. Presently, however, he drew Neate’s guard with a feint, and let fly left and right on the face, knocking his antagonist down. The last round, the eighth, made Neate “look like a novice,” as they say to-day. Spring went for his man and hit him as he pleased. Bill tried to use his left, but each blow was ill-timed and ill-judged and went nowhere near the champion. Spring then sent in a right-hander on the face which knocked his man clean off his legs. On the call of time Neate held out his hand to the champion, complaining that he could fight no more with his broken arm. The whole mill was over in thirty-seven minutes. Neate was plucky to fight so long as he did with a broken arm, but we cannot make too much fuss about it, for several men have fought for longer with similar injuries. He was, too, beaten at the outset, as we have shown, simply by force of character. In his heart of hearts he gave in then, though he took plenty of punishment afterwards bravely enough. But it is braver to go on wanting to win than to endure hurt with resignation. CHAPTER XIII TOM SPRING AND JACK LANGAN