Take off your coat, sir, and these gentlemen shall see fair play.' At this there came a look in his eye that I could not mistake.

His education had been neglected in one essential and eminently British particular: he could not box.

No more could I, you may say; but then I had the more impudence--and I had made the proposal.
'He says I'm no Englishman, but the proof of the pudding is the eating of it,' I continued.

And here I stripped my coat and fell into the proper attitude, which was just about all I knew of this barbarian art.

'Why, sir, you seem to me to hang back a little,' said I.