[The American Claimant by Mark Twain]@TWC D-Link book
The American Claimant

CHAPTER XIII
8/19

Allen, I ain't doing anything to you." "You answer me! What do you reckon would happen ?" "Well, I don't know." Tracy spoke up with a good deal of deliberation and said: "Don't trouble the young fellow, I can tell you what would happen." "Oh, you can, can you?
Boys, Johnny Bull can tell us what would happen if I was to snatch this chump's cap off and slap him in the face with it.
Now you'll see." He snatched the cap and struck the youth in the face, and before he could inquire what was going to happen, it had already happened, and he was warming the tin with the broad of his back.

Instantly there was a rush, and shouts of: "A ring, a ring, make a ring! Fair play all round! Johnny's grit; give him a chance." The ring was quickly chalked on the tin, and Tracy found himself as eager to begin as he could have been if his antagonist had been a prince instead of a mechanic.

At bottom he was a little surprised at this, because although his theories had been all in that direction for some time, he was not prepared to find himself actually eager to measure strength with quite so common a man as this ruffian.

In a moment all the windows in the neighborhood were filled with people, and the roofs also.
The men squared off, and the fight began.

But Allen stood no chance whatever, against the young Englishman.


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