Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

362 “ Youre watching, Vance! You're fight- ing his fight in spirit! That’s it!” The fighters were exchanging short-range punches: “That’s the system! He’s playmg groggy, Jimmy, but you don’t know it! You see an opening! Im you go! Not too much guard!”’ . Vance was coming to his feet. ““ Swing with your right! Again! Again! Back a step! Study him! Now go in!” So perfectly did they follow that the boxers might have been obeying tHe pull of invisible strings. “Ready for the knockdown! right on the jaw, Jimmy out, everybody! Back! Back!” Abruptly the acted drama halted. Stalk- ing hard on its heels came reality; grim, re- lentless tragedy. The Tights fickered. A sound like that of an avalanche ground and screeched. - Then something gigantic, ablaze like a meteor, crashed to the floor. lowed the pall of absohite blackness. It was the great lamp cluster overhead, hood and reflector and all, that had torn loose and fallen. From the babel of voices in” the ensuing darkness came screams of pain and terror, broken by frantic appeals for for lights—lights _ “When the secondary side electrics had been switched on, they revealed a mass of bloody, scrambling men. Strangely enough, perhaps due to the timely warning, neither of the fighters had been injured, althowgh splinters of glass and wood and more de- vastating chunks of metal had scattered over the entire stage. Jimmy Wing, gioves hawwnr at his sides, stared at the aisles where the director had been standing before the accident. ~ ““ Mr. Briscoe!” he shouted. ‘“‘ Oh, Mr. Briscoe!” There was no answer. Face downward on the wooden floor,’ hands limp and open, head bleeding, the director lay motionless. Take .a II. THERE was a stir and bustle in the little training-camp which was unusual at that Jate hour of the morning. As a matter of fact, it might.be termed a training-camp > Digitized k ‘Google Now for—look Fol-~ —_ ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. only by courtesy; for to the casual passer- by it seemed, except for a punching-hag under an oak-tree and two sets of boxing- gloves on a bench, no more than the usual summer cottage north of Mitwaukee, along the Port Washington road that borders the lake. ‘Come on, Larry. Time to start.” His face flushed with the coloring “of perfect condition, his trim, muscular revealing itself despite the well-worn, baggy clothes, Jimmy Wing stepped forth mto the sun- shine. Outside he turned and waited. ‘Through the doorway, hesitating. a little as if not sure of his footing, came a man whose age appeared as indefinite asi his faltering movements. His body was slght- ly stooped; his hands moved restlessty, continually exploring. Though the hair on the top of his head was brown, along the sides it had begun to silver. “ Jimary, I can’t find my knife.” The voice was querulous, with a curious fiat “Never mind! We'll buy you a new knife, Larry, down at the store. Won't that be fine? Come on, now; hop imto the ¢ flivver. >» The older man fumbled his way into the seat of the car. “ A new knife, Janmy?” “ Surest thing you know! A brand new knife, with three blades.” Jimmy bent to crank the engine. "Just a8 Soom as we ceme from the doctor's.” “ Seems to me, Jimmy, I was at the doc- tor’s once.” “Sure you were. Out in Los, Larry. But this is a different dector. After we see hiny, I'll get you a new knife and maybe some sweet chocolate.” ; ““ Sweet chocolate!’’, There was no mis- taking the rapturous expression on the man’s face. “ That wilt be fine, Jimmy. . Let’s hurry to the doctor’s right away.” It was a pleasant drive over parked reads . into the city of Milwaukee, and then along smooth, shaded pavements to the office in the big down-town building. The appoint- ment had been made by telephone; there was no delay in seeing the doctor. ‘*T feel sort of afraid, Jimmy.” ‘Well, you take hold of my hand,” said \ ee en — IGboo S CO© mm