David was amazed, but he wasted no breath to demand an explanation.

Father Roland was parrying his straight blows like an adept.

Three times in as many minutes he felt the sting of the Missioner's glove in his face.

In straight-away boxing, without the finer tricks and artifice of the game, he was soon convinced that the forest man was almost his match.

Little by little he began to exert the cleverness of his training.