"Well," said Mr. Pratt, "you haven't killed me--quite. I never enjoyed whipping a man so much before. Say, stranger, is this the first little fight you've had?"
"I've sparred for the amateur championship, and won it twice. I'm going in for it again next week."
"You might have mentioned that before the game began."
"If the inherent absurdity of your proposal could not deter you, I doubt if any information I might have imparted would have been of much avail."
"There's something in that. Time!"
Mr. Pratt rose from his chair. He stood on his feet--rather doubtfully.
"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Pownceby.
"I'm going on whipping you."
"Look here, Mr. Pratt, each time you stand up I shall simply knock you down again. Of course you can go on with that sort of thing as long as you like."
"That is so; I can. And that's a sort of thing of which one doesn't care to get more than enough."