"Which sure was some fight!" nodded the Spider. "Them half-arm jolts of
his sure shook me some; he'd have got me in th' third if I hadn't
clinched."

"He was a terror at in-fighting."

"He sure was, bo!"

"It was your jabbing and footwork won you the fight, Spider, one of the
best I've ever seen--very little clinching and clean breakaways."

"Larry sure was game all through, yes--right up to the knock-out. A
good, clean fighter. 'N' say, bo, I was real sorry to see him counted
out."

"It meant a big purse for you, I remember."

"Oh, sure, I had money to burn. I ain't got much left now, though," said
the Spider ruefully.

"You came pretty near being a world's champion, Spider."

"Aw--jest near enough t' miss it, I guess. Talkin' o' champeens, the
greatest of 'em, th' best fightin' man as ever swung a mitt, I reckon
was Joe Madden, as retired years ago. Nobody could ever lick Joe
Madden."

"Did you know him?"

"Not me, bo, I wasn't in his class. But I seen him fight years ago."