shnpcd like the
,. rv wilted peach-
, with n10“. The
u. .u s;ix‘kciiingly hot.
--n, n." tho place was
:1 :iront squared'
...i1 down :1. score
rims: bringing out
4 ~ .,.. human figures.
.‘4 :i unwitting and
. , ht shoves and
i" .‘ .=. u-r-iichts made
i . u 1. iikn .'i hi‘iii’). He
i'unsmntin; and
-.; i'ii" «If the most
“ _ .1 My inivwriifim'l fights
(”11.11 had staged
,,. . I'M-r m rupnnts were
i \1i'i'ii‘ l'lonton.
.«z .il‘il socks and
rim-«i mdh other.
u'h; their faces
i Filli‘nl'vi’l; their
\il ii“ torso-sides
\zi iiiUl landed.
”uni-1 fight. The
3. l i’w’il from the end
unite of Ken-
.\llil they had
in vvcry one of
illili i'nilt'lWGd.
vlil liltillt‘l’. crafty,
"l his dynamic
. n wns beating
gallery plays
ur’ inst motion.
_ lob. Bit by bit
"Nil his taller and
-I' i."
r".
:14
ii”
; i'l_ lilo crowd WM
i'-"ili|l’l, welterweight.
i:i‘=t. was popular.
‘\ Mill in be square
,- .At-vq had come Spike
M nu‘i's welterweight
Continent he
\ri‘v, from the West
n "liltl‘: victory after
.u .'i. Wily that did
.._ lA/il-llifirlty 01' ‘0 hi.
iiii‘
whip. And at last
i ‘.l' riu HP‘DIO".
i'vstliu arena, that
than (lid Spike
1‘ um“ Zunirmder's un-
’ 'il‘H‘H was in dan-
muitivn curtailment.
i,‘ iriwlwruseg which
ii'hi‘r‘ingfi from Con—
.(~~;i.-;ionnl ringside
the eighth
in the cen-
. lip liar
Hinlili'i’Vl
«4—iii‘it‘ fashion.
. “.1, ..r his corner with
“1 or n u-rnsxizml together in
\nl'nv of snort-1m
n m :1 almost instant.-
! Spike brought up
ri’fv as if to hit his
forehead. The
iwt-d the silly ma.-
miv had intended it
the same Instant,
,» ”\n his heel, with all
*“ "in full weight of his
Vv-(idd pounds on
, m of the body's most
Inmers. Th8 stamp of
’1-r all its soft rubber
vol-rent. of anguish
in iitnn'n whole body.
in his five-year ex-
r. r, Morle "hung on”
3.: on despairingiy.
iii” ground.
' “1"“ the referee was
rlcnn. here! ACt
‘ ii" . sv. l'm telling ya’
“-1! with pain. Merle
rut make complaint.
2.1:; to squeal to the
wily was at Benton.
. .1 3‘ As he charged. he
iwi't swing for the
swing coming. He
‘ a u-vi, at the some time
' m nno side and step-
”7‘ " " ' . and
i slow.
‘ ,. would not. csrry
‘ i'inugh. Nor did his
2' I‘ i H." to block tho blow.
uni flashed the swing.
.. ~inn-rid nerves
“ iimve was 1.00
r tr-rimit fist crushed
H‘nil‘r of Rentan's
mm the eyebrows. Its
‘ . tho floor. It would
i Nivyweight.
lionton gathered his
., . l‘-~ fore the refereohsd
. ‘ ' ‘ of two, ho was on
. ' m; for the fray.
' ~ scrambled up. Merle
," = ‘ " * the fuses—in the
‘ "'zr‘ light apparatus 1nd
arena. was in pitch
‘11" l .
" 2’ ‘rr-xnrily. It was very
l.!lf«tumed. to grab.
with corner. Why
4 M‘Condl light a. match
M‘ .
Vifmn .1 -
um: still yelling and
wanting encouragement:
the place was not in
4' - , lmrror. Merle under-
i Int the light. but his
inn *‘ L: [in '
. , lilll‘q nt large. the only
'» is that Mario R‘n'
in his feet and that
">'illy dizzy or confulOd
‘ llrc knockdown. ‘
"”15“ rw’is. with his remaining
mined, flushed in. Th9“-
..i his stumblingly cron-
5» ’5’. ho caught a. distill!”-
. R {wring and sightlosl 0V”-
’i, hit-k in New Zesilnd.
h’d
L“.- .’
w
u, ,“ffwm A year in handy man
. 7‘ for the blind. Nobody
va- ,.,
uncricnce could mm
binnk look. And. :33"
Sriike knew whst had b0-
. i'i” ion,
‘ "h‘mn'onship was his! But
III In f‘ll'e ([15 m,”
'r the nature of -
“(in the bout.
“Sled since
1.: am. hiim biniches'
I
seen and recognized that sightiess
glare. Scarce three seconds had pass-
ed since Merle bad risen so wavering-
iy to his feet. There was no time to
waste
Setting himself. deliberately. Spike
Kennclly struck with all his trained
skill and with every atom of his force
and weight.
Down went Merle Benton. face for-
ward.
Slowly from a. billion miles away.
Merle Benton crawled back to con-
sciousneas. His head was racked and
rent with intolerable torment. His
mind was as blank as were his shut
and quivering eyes. His first semi-5
clear impresston was the sound of
Constantin‘s voice chanting: “TEN!"
In a. rush. memory came back to
Merle. For the first time in his clean
ring career. he shammed. He con—
tinued to lie. in seeming unconscious-
ness. while his seconds lifted him and
carried him to his corner and wrought
over him.
The arena was rocking with the
plaudits of the crowd. It had been a
good fight. with a charmingly unex-
pected twist at the end and a. sense—
tional knockout.
Presently. Merle heard Bruce, his
manager. tell the seconds to carry him
to his dressing— room. As he was laid
on the table. Merle whispered his man-
ager's name. Instantly Brace was
leaning over him. .,
"Yon' re. all right. now, old man!
Brace said chocrily. “Don't try to get
up. yet. VVe'll—" . .
"Send all the others out!' pnnted
Merle.
Wondering. Brace obeyed.
“They' re all gone. " he reported, com-
ing back to the table. "What did you
want to say to me?"
For answer, Merle Renton opened his
eighties: eyes. They looked unsceing—
ly past. Brace. For a moment. the
manager stared bewildered. into the
blank orbs. Then he cried out. an in
h sicnl pain.
p ‘lzl'ol" he yelled. "No! Good Heaven.
man! It can' t be you'”re—-
"I‘m blind " Benton made simple re-
ply. "I'm blind. He heeled me in the
instep. in that last. clinch. I was too
sick to block his swing. as we coat:
“ th swine!" roared Bruce.
hdglub‘lisritig. “I'll murder him for
thin—if I so to the Chair for it! Wait!
I'm going to send for the belt doctor
in town. ' For all the doctors in town:
“I!
“3001119 buck!" ordered Merle "glow.
Grins in his general direction. Come
back here! You' ll stay where you are.
I'm not going to have s. lot of doctors
runninj here. and have the whole
story get around town and be in every
paper. to marrow. I never yet squeal-
ed or made excuses And I‘m not go-
ing to begin now. I——" _
“gen: me home!" ordered Benton:
“got me home. in s rush. Dont tell
any of the have about it. Shy I mdtot;
groggy to walk alone; and kin o
steer ms to the taxi. Get. me horns
the bunch. Then itll
and way from
be titan enough to send for Doc
“mg-lull! Brsco move him from his
In the call. on the was
to Romeo's ant. Marleen uploined. “If
ever I got my eyes back. I’ll pay the
bill I owe Kennelly. If I don t get em
back. I'm not letting any one else till:
it for mu. I—I kind or hate to dn't
to-nuht. X suu- rd rather we (:1
say anything more. Just now. S;
too much to look forward .to.
than. time's—there‘- made.
no to go upstairs.
“If yoird "30 3m 3....
sullen resolve.
«it.
when? bf.“ ”atom. 1'“ to
news 'broke’ ‘0'
i
hysterics. She
hands in her own firm grasp. as Ren-
ton stepped blunderingly out of the
taxicab.
his other side and with Brace miser-
ably foilowing. she led him into the
house and up to the little flat. that was
their home.
made every possible examination un-
der the circumstances and had de-
parted, promising to can early in the
morning with a. great specialist of his
acquaintance—it was not until Brace
had wrung Merle's hand and Linda’s
and stamped away in Moagher‘s wake
——~it was not until she and her strick-
Undcr the doctor's orders. the recent champion had been packed oil to a
sanitarium.
out of it He got me betwesn
eyes. And it put my sight out Of..pu‘1’¢*
nus. Then he knocked me out.
she broke in. tenderly.
Til" prize Ring—A. Wedding Ring—Action—Thrills—Surprises—And Some ChUCkICSo
‘1 j '. . .5 be well. But—he is well. Want to
‘ if bear it?" '
Illustrated by ‘ "Fire away!" commanded“ Merle.
. ‘ ;§ scentlng a, joke. ‘
Dalton Steven" i: "No" she corrected him. "rm in
" ii earnest. I want to go partners with
E. Mr. Brace in managing your next
took Merle's groping
Then. with Dr. Meagh’er on
It was not until Dr. hieagher had
en husband were alone together in
their living—room. that Linda. let her-
self 30.
Then. gathering tho blind head in
her arms she strained it. close to her
breast, murmuring love. words of en—
couragement: crooning to the sufferer
as to a. sick child.
“Oh. girl of minor" Morlo muttered
chokingly. “(iii-l. dour, wimt'm I going
to do?”
“It's going to be all right. dozirle."
she soothed. f'lt's goinyiir to be all right.
We got along, when we were so dead-
brokc. And we got on when—when
Baby died. VVn can get on. now. Be-
cnuse we're together. You‘re not my
eyes to are with and my hands to work
for you. And—eand I'm prouder of
ning out at last. See if You don‘t!"
. “I'm a his baby, *0 whine." be broke
out. almost fiercely. "You're right.
We're going to await together. We’ll
go through it. somehow Or other."
He'let his tense body relax. sinking
back on the couch where Linda. had
seated him. She curled up on the
floor at his side: her fingers roaming
through the damp hair of his brow;
her soft voice taking up a. drowsy
song.
Unknown to Merle. his wife had
switched off the living-room lights.
It was as though Linda did not Wish
to use a. faculty theiblind man could
not share.
The sedative the doctor had given
Livirle was beginning to take hold. His
breathing gre‘w calmer. His muscles
lost their spasmodic rigidity. Grad-
ually. as she sang and anodized, he
drifted to sleep.
Until gray dawn. the woman con-
ilnued her loving vigil. Then she. too
.couch; as the dim light waxed clear-
er and as the city‘s noises began in the
street outside.
Merle Benton awoke. stupidly, his
mind heavy from the drug and from
the exhaustion of the evening before.
Idly. through half shut lids. he watch-
ed the play of morning sunshine on
the window-box of red geranium:
Then. hall-consciously, he realized he
was on the couch and dressed, and not
in bed. This did not surprise him.
Often. when he came in very late at
night, he. would campfon the couch.
sooner, than risk waking Linda.
He must have bncn out late. Where
had he been? lie began to remema
bet.
The fight—the foul blow-—his blind-
DOSE—oi
Ills . blindness?
Surely that part of it had been some
grotesque nightmare! For his vision
was as clear as ever it had been. To
test it, he for-used his eyes on one
object after :iiioiii<=r in the pretty room.
The geraniums in the window-box, the
filmy white. curtains blowing in the
morning breeze. a haskcii'ul of many-
coiored fabrics on Linda's sewing
(able.
His glunro fcll on the sun-kissed
hair of tho dainty head that rested on
his knee.
woke. She sat up. wide-eyed and won-
big eyes,
sorrow.
"Linda!" exclaimmi Merle.
right. girl. It didn't happen. Or
it did it’s gone."
Long'nml amazedly,
him. Then. for five hysterical
utcs she proceeded to go to pieces.
She was still snuggled close
him.
tests and cross~quostions.
ous in the recovery.
The, same thing.
had happened several times in
only manager. since he went into the
ring. But now you're going to have
a. partner and the partner’s name is
Linda Benton.
3. wonderful'schem'e. last night. when
I was trying to keep -Mer‘le asleep. It
.i seemed impossible, then‘i
dare let myself getto hoping he'd ever
fell asleep. worn out by the night’s “I don’t like it.” objected Merle. un—
strain. Her head on Renton’s knee. comfortably. "It doesn't seem just
she slept upon the floor beside the right. “.4:
At the same moment. Linda
dcring. Then memory rushed into her
clouding them with black
"It's all
if
she peered at
min—
in
Mnrlc‘s comforting arms and recover-
ing from lmr cry. when Dr. Mcagher
arrived at the flat: the specialist with
Followed much examining and many
The spec-
ialist seemed to find nothing miracul-
he said in effect.
the
"Mr Braces.- you’ve been the :BOy’s
I——I kept thinking 'of
for I didn‘t
fight. We've been so sure of winning
last night's! And the winner's end of
the purse was going to pay for that
hotel. back home. and for getting it
started all nice. But there wasn’t any
'winners end' to that purse for us.
Well. theres going to be. for the next
light."
"I don't quite get you." began Braca.
"Of course—'1‘
Drawmg is long breath. she began
afresh. At first the men listened with
amused tolerance. But. gradually. the
friendly derision died out of their
faces. In Marie's dawned a. Wonder.
tinged with disapproval, In Bruce's
the wonder was augmented by pure
delight. As she paused, the manager
gave a great shout. and pnmmcled- the
inoffensive table- top.
"Great!" he exult‘ed. “Fine and
gaudy! ‘And it took a. woman to think
of it! It—" . ..
“Not a. woman." corrected Linda. "A
wife. Can it be worked on. the way
I said?" she finished. anxiously.
“Can it?" echoed the jubilant Brace.
"Can it? Why. it's a bird! I wouldn't
miss it for 51—" -
"'VVhy don't it?" challenged Brace.
"It's dead square. I'm your manager.
And I say: Go to it!”
"But." insisted Merle,
“I don't like
"Listen to me.” demanded Linda.
"Last night. I told you I'd be eyes and
hands to you. Let me be brains for
you, now. All you've got to do is to
fight, when the time comes. Just the
way you always fight. Besides. you
said once I was the squarest girl you
ever knew. Can’t you still trust me to
be? , One doesn't hit a. friend with a
bat. in a. balhgamc. But one would
use a. but to smash s. shaker-and be
dead right in doing it. If Spike Ken-
nclly isn't a snake. I never heard of
one. 80—"
"But——"
"So that' s settled " she finished ser«
cncly “Now. Mr. Brace. will you go
ahead and make the arrangements?
1‘” answer for Merle. The more he
thinks of it. the more he'll know I‘m
right. And. when it's over we'll start
that hotel. There's a barrel of money
in the right sort of hotel. back home.
And we're going to run the right sort.
How long do you suppose the whfle
thing will take. Mr. Brace? The other.
Not the hotel."
The sporting pages of'the various
papers, next day. announced that
Merle Benton's eyes had been badly
injured in the fight with Kenneliy:
that complete blindness had set in.
and that. under the doctors' orders.
the recent cat-welterweight. champion
had been packed off to a. snnitarium;
where, it was hoped, his damaged
sight might in time be restored.
Kcnnclly read the reports; and he
smiled broadly. To him it seemed a
delightful joke. Just then he was re-
vcling ln.the glory and publicity and
full pockets that go with a new-won
championship. Everything in life
scorned. for the moment, either en-
thralling or amusing.
Chancing to meet Brace in a. sport-
ing hostelry. Spike. proceeded artfully
to pump the surly manager as to Ren-
ton‘s true condition.
at min, was said. quietly:
By dint of clever
cross-questioning, he elicited from the
cured of his malady.- Reporfirs who
had. interviewed him declared his eiés
showed no visible. sin of his MC
blindness; and the; he m «my i538
communicative about it. .
In another three days. use sporting
world was happily interested I}: we
ing that Brace had issued a challenge
to Kennelly. in Marie‘s nuns,- to: I
return battle.
; Everybody was pleased -- except
Spike Kennelly. And. in his shifty
brain, Spike began to washout for
means of refusing or in any event of
postponing indefinitely the fight. He
was not ready to hazard his month-
old championship: least of all to so
formidable an opponent as Benton.
Then. one day. as he wag Isfllying
forth for his usual comm; premen-
ade. 8. young and decidedly pretty
Woman accosted him. Sinks smiled
patronizingly. But the woman‘s first
few, hurried sentences changed his
smirk of gratification to a. scowl or!
bewilderment.
“Mr. Kennedy," she said. speaking
very fast and with evident" nervous-
neSs. “You don't. know me. I am
Linda. Benton. Merle Rentan‘s wife. I
have been waiting to speak to You. It's
terribly important Can I walk a lit-
tle way with you?"
”Her? agitation and the stark plead-
ing in her upraised idea had a. allelic:
ing effect on, Spike's usually too—ready
tongue. Nodding confusedly. he letyher
fall into step beside him.
“I—I don’t want to be seen with
you." said Linda, with an apprehen-
sive glance up and dowri the street.
"So I’ll be as quick as I can. Mr.
Kennelly. my husband has just chai-
lenged you. Please—I—I'm begging
you—please—don't accept. Don't fight
him. I beg you not. \to. There must
be plenty of other men for you to
fight. Leavé my husband alone. Oh.
please!"
"Leave him alone?" gobbled the
dumb-founded Kenneliy. “Why. It’s
him that won‘t leave me alone! Here
he goes and challenges me. and—J
"That’s just it!" she cried. choking—
ly. .“That‘s the terrible part of it. He
insists on doing it. My only hope was
to come and throw myself on your
mercy. 1—”
“H'm.” granted Spike.
scared of me as all that?"
"He isn't scared of anybody." she re-
iorted. “That’s the trouble, Mr. Ken‘
neiiy. I've no right to tell my bus-
band‘s secrets. And I won’t. 80 I‘m
going to tell you just a fairy story;
and you can believe it or not as you
like. For all you know, I may be mak-
ing it Lip—for fun," she explained.
"Is he as
OVQI‘.
"Once there was a man." she con-
tinued. brokenly.
my husband or that this is a.
story. It isn't.
not telling any secrets.
after a. while the doctors were able to
cure him. But that blow had done
something awful to his head. I don’t
know the Latin name for it."
“Hey?" exclaimed Spike. in sudden
interest. “Vtht‘s that?"
“The doctors said if ever he should
get a. hard blow on the top of the head.
it would do something to the nerve-
ccnters there; and make him stone
blind. for life. This next; time there'd
be no cure. The minute his head is
hit hard. on top, he'll be blinded for-
ever. I—-"
“Gee!” bloated Kennelly, thrilled to
the core.
"Mind you. I don't say that's a true
story." she added. tremblingly. “No-
body can say I betray my husband's
secrets. Especially when I swore I'd
never tell. But it can’t. do any burn)
to tell you just a. fairy story. can it?
“fell, if that man was going into s
fight. wouldn't his wife want to go to
you. for the way you’re taking this.
course or his own medical experience
reluctant Brace the
news that Ran~
the other man and beg him on her
than it you won every fight in a. single
punch.”
“What'd I ever do. to have this
wimed on me?" Merle grasped. “I‘ve
plnyed square. You. know I have. girl.
I’ve done what I could to be a white
man. Sometimes I’ve fell short. but.
I've kept on trying. And now; what,
do I get? I get this—4' .
"It isn’t what you may or may not
be getting. this minute, that counts."
“Ion vc been
V‘hus'band and 5
5-month. 16
A shock. coming (gum-m dystem whose
nervm were drawn M by pain 0:-
ways. One of these ways was a. tem-
poi-amt pernlysls of the
governing sight.
The optic nerve had; not been affect-
ed. There was mreaSon to expectauy
ret of the blindness.
After the two d0&6rs had gun
strain. and whoso" blood-vessels were-1
engorged from fickntgpercise, might Breech!
manifest itself in ‘nny of a hundred .
brain-cells. I
this:
w;
pm. by accident.
npro fine you .won
’chnnelly.“
choking back a sob and shaking all
"I don’t say he was
true
It's a. fairy story. I'm
There was s.
s -.
knees. not to fight mm? Wouldnltynhe?
Motions.” nobody tries/to hit the
’otherflenowonthoto topotthchudin
s‘flght. flutmcureitmight hep-
*~ 'dzth'e’na on.
.flgbtmnr.
”ms." mailman.”-
mm awiuimpunemamm'm
theatrudtocheer Wimm555
try' to place a side bet with the
tan Meier for as big a. sum
could wheedle the latter into
my Also. he decreed that the nit:
tér of Spike s “championship W i?
80 per cent. of the gate. win or
new: if‘Brace should. “new
point too hotly.
The manager. fearing lei! tit?
money-worshiping Kenneily hot! ”5-
his mind. came hotfooting to 8m
hotel for further information. But.
6. bolt hour more. he hurried out
more rapidly In quest of Bruce.
That night then; was joy in ”tbs
Benton flat. Brace came in lots with
newa that the fight- -papers were dnni
up in record time and signed: at
that Kennelly's manager had not My
Waived every _moot point. but also;
agreed to every pro‘viso suggested,
and had practically forced a. stupgk
dons side bet on the rapturous m
“I—I knew he’d do it." said Lind;
with a little shudder. "I knew it! Ana
yet. it didn't seem to me any human
could do such a thing. To win in bud}-
ful of money and a wretched fight. m
actually blind a fellow- «non for 111s in
cold blood. And he‘d rob that i“
still further by a side-bet. He'd trldg
on an appeal like mine. too! . 01$
Merle. I want you to do all sort: 6!
things to him. in the ring! 1—" '
“I will." grimly promised Rental.
“He's put himself outside the white-
msn line "
"And. mind you!" spoke up and;
earnestly. “I didn’t tell him a. lie. Not.
one single lie. I kept saying it was s. .
fairy story. And then he promised us ’
to let me off. And. the moment my
back was turned—"
., "I know." said .Merle.
on the free
" That wasnft
list. either.
you'd kept out of it. girl."
"It I had," she countered. "Kg!!!
nelly'd have kept out of it. too. I Ind
to. Iididn’t. like doing it. any more
than you liked having me do it!“
Five weeks later—on Thanksgiving ‘
Eve—the Cestus Club‘s peachbanket
auditorium was jammed to the doors
and to the roof.
Spike Kennelly had had a busyxnd
happy five weeks. He had trained, It'
is true: but not in the grillingly drun-
tic fashlon that had marked his outlier
tight-preparations.
A blow on the crown of the head is
one of the easiest to deliver. It can
be lauded as an opponent rushes. held
down. It can be struck unerringly u
an adversary runs into a clinch 5o:
emerges from one. It is a useless and
silly blow. The top of the normal hu-
man head is fairly impervious to a
smash from a padded fist. There 18
for more danger of breaking the bones
in the fist that deals such Va. blow.
Wherefore, many boxers purposely op-
pose their head-crowns to a punch: in
the hope of crippling their adver-
saries. '
man. And be 80*- into a fight- And Serenely sure that he could hit tho
he “'35 hit between the 93'95- And top of Merle‘s head with staggerinx
somehow, it made him blind. Then. '
force. any time he might choose to.
Kennelly proceeded to increase his own
chances of wealth. Scraping together
every available dollar of his ring-
earnings, he bet half of this sum. at
approximately even money. on his
winning at the fight. The rest. through
commissioners. he placed at odds aver-
aging three to one, that he would win
it in five rounds or less. Seldom hsd
a sporting proposition appeared safer.
0n the night of the battle the men
shumed out of their bathrobes and
came to the center of the ring for the
referee's instructions.
The gong rang; and the fight was
on.
Spike at once took the aggressive.
Merle did not follow his usual tactic-
of meeting his man. foot to foot. In-
stead. he retreated before the onset;
backing lightly away; dancing just
out of reach; sparring at long range.
And, while he did this. he broke an-
other ring rule of his. by talking dur-
ing a. bout.
"Spike. my friend." he said, dis-—
tinctly enough for the pursuing cham-
pion to catch every syllable. "sho
wamed you it was only a fairy story.—
And it was—Anyone but a boob would
know the top of a. man‘s head has
nothing to do with his eyes. ~Ham-
met me there. all you like. “Hammer
me there. till you break every bone 11;
both your builder—You're out for a kill-
ing. hey? W'ell. the killing is due. all
right— Onix you' re the killee, not the
killer—Watch. ' "
As he spoke. he halted in his 3::
retreat. Kennelly had just launched
a. fierce left lead for his jaw.
ing, Merle deliberately took the mighty
punch on the Crown of his head. It.
impact staggered him. But that same
impact sent shooting pains up Spike‘s
arm and numbed his hand to the M
Merle danced away. grinning
"I keep on seeing, better and better.
all the time ” he announced. “Try it
again!"
Then Merle Benton began 'to fight.
losing the aggressive.
.. In the to
punishing le bender to the stomadh;
and was following it with a right to
Spike dropped his guard to protect his
the rightlunder's course; and b
it flush to Spikes unguarded jaw. “
Down 'wsnt Kennelly. under
count of nine. He needed the
space badly In the fifth round.
was knocked down, twice: both
taking the full count of June. '
As he cme up for the sixth M
Spike swayed drunkenly in his walk.
old merciless about of blood- lust.
"finish him!" bowled the m
tors. “Finish the big stiff!" ’
Merle. unwcaried, vibrant
snotty. went sternly to his work. 8m
unrelated by his minute of m
strove tcfiim leaden arms to ward 6;
the and Into his eyes had M
craven fear. '
Benton checked his own ferocious
advance. He had caught and
the look in his opponent‘s ,
face. Instead of launching the
hemeroly thrust'torth his right
palm open. Resting the palm out f
nelly‘s chest, Hex-1e any: a. gentle '
Them Zenlnnder tattered '
and not down hard. in mid-ring.
There he not while
Kerk Benton welterweight ‘
pion’otthonastbentdowpsnd ~-
efl u! we min: boar. 5.30
{too 00W. Imus!
Tomorrow :
morning I start training. Only—I wishV
.‘ MM‘ 3 i
.m i,- -
Duek- .
He assailed his foe, amidshlps: never
11 round Merle ripped g
the heart: when. rattled and in agony, 2
meridian. In mill—air, Benton shines,
punch. And down he stayed, until ta;
Fro'm the crowd went up the W
5-11-9117
Norwalk Chronicler