Twice the huge Portugee lifted the Englishman from the ground, striving to throw him, while the crowd yelled with excitement, but twice he failed.

Not for nothing had Leonard learnt wrestling as a lad and hardened his iron muscles by years of toil.
Xavier may have weighed sixteen stone and Leonard did not weigh thirteen, but his arms were like bars of steel and he was struggling for dear life.
He waited awhile, letting the Portugee exhaust himself in efforts to hurl him to the ground.

Then suddenly tightening his grip, Leonard put out all his strength.

He could not hope to lift the man, that he knew, but he might throw him.

With a sudden movement he hooked his right leg behind Xavier's left calf.