“He's fightin'. He's fightin'. I'm not fightin'.”
“You'd better get busy then,” called Ben derisively from his corner. “Now, Larry, sail into him,” and Larry sailed in with such vehemence that Mop fairly turned tail and ran around the ring, Larry pursuing him amid the delighted shouts of the spectators.
This ended the contest, the judges giving the decision to Mop, who, though obviously beaten at the finish, had showed a distinct superiority on points. As for Larry, the decision grieved him not at all. He carried home a face slightly disfigured but triumphant, his sole comment to his mother upon the contest being, “I was not afraid of him anyway, mother; he could not make me run.”
“I am not so sure of this boxing, Lawrence,” she said, but the boy caught the glint in her eyes and was well enough content.
In the late evening Ben, with Larry and Joe following him, took occasion to look in upon Mop at the butcher shop.
“Say, Mop,” said Ben pleasantly, “what do you think of Larry now? Would you say he was a coward?”
“What do you mean?” asked Mop, suspecting trouble.
“Just what I say,” said Ben, while Larry moved up within range, his face white, his eyes gleaming.
“I ain't saying nothing about nobody,” replied Mop sullenly, with the tail of his eye upon Larry's white face and gleaming eyes.
“You say him one tam--in de cedar swamp,” said Joe.
“Would you say Larry was a coward?” repeated Ben.
“No, I wouldn't say nothing of the sort,” replied Mop promptly.
“Do you think he is a coward?” persisted Ben.
“No,” said Mop, “I know he ain't no coward. He don't fight like no coward.”
This appeared to satisfy Ben, but Larry, moving slightly nearer, took up the word for himself.
“And would you say my mother was a coward?” he asked in a tense voice, his body gathered as if for a spring.
“Larry, I wouldn't say nothing about your mother,” replied Mop earnestly. “I think your mother's a bully good woman. She was awfully good to my mother last winter, I know.”
The spring went out of Larry's body. He backed away from Mop and the boys.
“Who said your mother was a coward?” inquired Mop indignantly. “If anybody says so, you bring him to me, and I'll punch his head good, I will.”
Larry looked foolishly at Ben, who looked foolishly back at him.