But circumstances made the contest inevitable.

In the working out of a tournament, it chanced that Mop was drawn to face Larry, and although the disparity both in age and weight seemed to handicap the smaller boy to an excessive degree, Larry's friends who were arranging the schedule, among them Mack Morrison with big Ben Hopper and Joe Gagneau as chorus, and who knew something of Larry's skill with his hands and speed on his feet, were not unwilling to allow the draw to stand.
The days preceding the tournament were days of misery for Larry.

The decision in the contest would of course be on points and he knew that he could outpoint without much difficulty his antagonist who was clumsy and slow.

For the decision Larry cared nothing at all.

At the most he had little to lose for it would be but small disgrace to be beaten by a boy so much bigger.