The cause of his distress was something quite other than this.

He knew that from the first moment of the bout he would be fighting.

That this undoubtedly would make Mop fight back, and he was haunted by the fear that in the stress of battle he might play the coward.

Would he be able to stand up to Mop when the fight began to go against him?
And suppose he should run away, should show himself a coward?
How could he ever live after that, how look any of the boys in the face?
Worst of all, how could he face his father, whose approval in this boxing game since he had revealed himself as a "fighting man" the boy coveted more than anything else.

But his father was not present when the boy stepped into the ring.