12 Sports Aces, May 1943 — page 48: what you’re looking at

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

PY 32 SPORTS ACES 118 eh oe Dee bone ee Ger Ges Ges Os POSS Prk! Peer P oH FO eid ee O11 Orel 01 O18 1s Fe Ber Eon Roe Gece Gor Per Gs Ou Gos Pen PaGerG Grae Sn GeO SP Gonhe eo sharp right-cross slashed Brian in the ‘mouth. He tasted the salt of blood from a cut lip. Mathew Rourke Brien forgot all about eollege professors not becoming involved im brawls. Hia brown eyes gleamed hard and cold. He slipped a second ieft jab, atepped inside the looping right Battler ' Alders threw, and again that short jolt- ing right flashed incredibly fast. Battler Alders was a_ professional fighter and he didn’t make the same mis- take twice. His left arm had jerked down to cover after the jab, but even so the kick of the young professor’s wallop drove the Battler’s forearm against his jaw hard enough to jerk his head back. “Paste *im, kid! Mow ’im down!” Another flash-bulb popped. Pim Me- Carty danced excitedly around the bat- tling pair, unaware that he yelled en- couragement to the Battler’s opponent. Brian followed the dynamite right upper- cut with a sharp left-hook. It landed high on the cheek of Battler Alders and left a dull red crimson. mark. But the best amateur battler can be no match for a good professional. Battler Alders snarled curses, but he kept his head. He had a wholesome respect for that murderous right after two tastes of it. He flicked stinging jabs and bruising hooks into the face of Brian and danced out of reach, A hard right smashed on the bridge of Brian’s nose and blood cascaded down onto his shirt front and eoat. A twist ing hook broke open the flesh below Brian’s eye. Mathew Rourke Brian could barely see for a moment. But he stood there like a real fighting man and flailed away. His right grazed the Battler’s jaw, smashed up and across his faee. Claret spouted from the Battler’s nose. He snarled a vicious curse, feinted a left, and when Brian jerked away, Alders put everything he had into a right cross. Mathew Rourke Brian felt as though something inside his brain exploded and be was suddenly walking in a thiek hazy fog. There was no bottom to it, a man eouldn’t walk. “Get the picture, McOarty,” a heavy voice said. Funny place to be taking pieturés, Brian thought. He was vaguely conscious that he was down. A ring of faces cut through the murky haze in his brain and they spun crazily around for a moment. He struggled to rise. His jaw ached, His whole being ached. There was something he had to do and there wasn’t much time. He— Abruptly his head eleared and he re- membered the appointment with Ruxford College president. Then the whole fan- tastic business came back. Somebody grasped his arm. He jerked away and tte big red-faced man in the blue of a poliee- man grabbed him again. “Let me go. I’ve got to—” “You’ve got to shut up!” the eop ent ia grimly. “I’d best take him in, Mr. Ben- son. I saw most of it, saw him knock the Battler down. Alders can make charges and—” “The Battler will press no charges,” a heavy voice eut in. “Battler Aijders only did what any red-blooded American would have done. However, it is fortunate that you saw this man’s unprovoked attack. Some erackpots think it’s smart to take a wallop at a figure as important in the fistic scene as Battler Alders. All we want is no bad publicity.” “There'll be ne kick-back on the Bat- tler,” the cop said. He gave Mathew Rourke Brian a shove. “And I don’t think this lad will start something again ‘less he knows he can finish it. Get goin’, you. On your way fore I run you’se in!” CHAPTER II E LOOKED into the mirror above the dresser. He was a sorry-looking specimen. One eye was beautifully cok ered and emhanced by a strip of court plaster ower the eut below it. His nome was swollen and his lower lip was puffed and saw inside where hie teeth had ext. through. But rough as was the reflecties that looked back at him from the mirror, it-was smooth and velvety eompared to the turmoil inside Mathew Rourke Brian. What had happened to him? Phe thing cComicbooks com;