12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

08 12 SPORTS ACES: When the boxing commission says you’re ‘in. shape to fight, come around.” Three months. it. had been. And now he was at the end of the trail: Rowdy Mad- _ den, a champ three months: earlier, was broke. His hand was still stiff. He need- ed a fight, But. he could not get one, He was not ready for one. Rowdy Madden was desperate. One day he was reading a fight magazine. He no- ticed a blurb that gave him an idea: KILLER BLANE ON CARNIVAL TOUR Killer Blane, until a couple of years. ago | one of the top men in the heavyweight divi- sion, has hit the carnival circuit. The Killer _ is working for Mammoth Shows and-is pack- oy them in against all comers three shows a day. The carnival is offering the rubes ten bucks a round for each and every round that any- one: stays with the Killer. There is a top payoff of. two. C notes for anyone who can kayo the Killer. The carnival is: running little. risk. Kifler Blane can still punch. If he would leave: the bottle alone, he might still be. up there in the big: dowgh instead of fighting three yokels.a. day. Rowdy was desperate. His right hand was-gone, but he still had a left: He looked again at the name of the town where the carnival was staying—just over the river in: Jersey. Rowdy was not thinking of the ten bucks: a_round he might win if he Stayed with the carnival battler: He was thinking of the two hundred fish he would get if he could land 'a kayo. Two hundred fish would buy a lot of salmon... Two nights later, Rowdy Madden stood in front of the huge fight tent, while up on the platform a barker went into his spiel. “Step right up, gents, and win some easy money. Ten bucks a round for each and every round you stay with the Kil- lah!. What? No takers? Come on boys, show your lady friends your punch... .” Rowdy knew. it was crazy. He was in no shape to fight. He hesitated momen- tarily. And as he hesitated, a-.man stepped out of the crowd. He was a husky-looking guy, but there was a droop in his shoulders. His hair was a little silvery at the temples. He was wearing dark glasses. The barker took one look at him, then paled. “You want a shot at the Killah, do you; friend. This is kind of slow company for you, ain’t:it?” 7 Rowdy understood then. The man with the silvering temples, the man back of those: dark glasses; was Marty Allen—the ex-champ! The man that Rowdy Madden had started down the trail to oblivion? Rowdy blinked. He studied the ex-champ. He saw in the man’s face a look of des- peration. He saw a white, not yet com- pletely healed scar upon the ex-champ’s temple. It took a moment for Rewdy to realize the truth. The ex-champ was worried! He was also broke or he wouldn’t be here, He was fighting for peanuts and he was here because Rowdy Madden had sent him here! The crowd eddied and swirled’ around: Rowdy. He was caught: in the undertow, sucked toward the ticket booth. He beught a ducat and went inside. He was still upset. Still puzzled. Why was: the ex- champ here tonight? Why had the ex- champ’s hair turned to silver on his: tem- ples? Rowdy was uneasy. He could not escape that feeling of responsibility for whatever might: have happened to Marty Allen. Ten minutes later Marty appeared. His eyes weré narrowed, squinting without the dark glasses. They had a queer, grop- ing look in them. Marty started to climb through the hemp. He reacked fora rope and grabbed a ribbon of air, six inches: above the rope. He stumbled into the ring and the crowd laughed: Marty whitened, said nothing. Rowdy watched and his throat. was tight. The ref called them to the center of the ring. Marty walked unsteadily, a little gropingly. It. was evident enough that his eyes were not right. HE instructions were over. Marty Allen went. back. He waited calmly until the bell rang, Then he whirled and. started for the center of the ring. Marty Allen lunged toward a man in the center of the squared circle. He swung. The man leaped aside and swore. The crowd. guf- fawed. For Marty’s intended target: was: the ref, == Gomicbooks (Eo)