The Argosy, Vol. 81, No. 4 — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

6 = Tobias Brewer’s career. The blow that ex- tinguished consciousness in the Kid ignited an inspiration in Donovan. The Kid’s world went black; Donovan’s was suddenly flooded with a rosy glow. The uncouth man before him seemed as an angel sent in answer to a prayer—a Lo/hen- grin answering the appeal of Elsa. There was no ridicule in the fight manager’s heart now. To the waiter and attendants who rushed in, attracted by the commotion, Donovan said: “The Kid has met with an accident. Tried to do the Charlie Chaplin walk for the benefit of my friend here, and fell on his face. Nothing serious. It’s all in a day’s work. Douse him with a little water and he'll be all right.” To Tobias Brewer, as he grasped his arm and led him solicitously out of the door, he whispered: “I’m your friend. Come along and I'll get you out of this before the police arrive.” And Tobias . Brewer, his cooled, was glad enough to go. Not until he had closed the door of a back room in a saloon three blocks away did Donovan pause for breath. Then he offered Brewer a cigar and a chair and got down to business without delay. “Say,” he asked in low, impressive tones, “how would you like to make ten thousand dollars?” Contrary to. Donovan’s expectations, To- bias Brewer answered with a doubtful look and shook his head. “T know your kind,” he answered sig- nificantly, “the rich dude with the seegar that hires the poor workman to pitch the beautiful lady in the river. My brother Ezra went to a the-ate-ter in Little Rock onct and he told me all about it. No siree, ten ‘million wouldn’t hire me for no dirty work.” “You’ve got the wrong number; listen,” interposed Donovan impatiently. But Brewer was a man of a single pur- pose. “T’ve got a girl back there in Arkansaw,” he continued stubbornly, ‘‘and if I can’t make enough money here to marry her, I can go back and show her empty pockets and an honest heart.” “For the love of Jerusalem, listen to me!” pleaded Donovan. “We're not pulling off any Nellie the Beautiful Cloak Model stuff here, Hiram. I’m trying to put you next to making ten thousand dollars in an indignation THE ARGOSY. honest way. You don’t get your money until you’ve done your work, so you don’t have to do it if it goes against your re- ligious principles. Wouldn’t you like to go back to that girl of yours with ten thousand honestly earned silver dollars jingling in your pockets?” Brewer’s eyes began to kindle with eager- ness now. “Golly,” he gulped. “How many years will I have to work?” “One night!” snapped Donovan. ‘“One—say, brother, you hain’t likely to be a-losin’ your mind, are you?” gasped Brewer. “Not on your haystack. It’s straight goods. Ten thousand in one night!” Tobias Brewer struggled a full minute for expression before he was able to gulp out the one word: “How?” — “Fighting,” answered Donovan. “Fighting? The war you mean?” “No. No getting killed in this. All you've got to do is to fight a man with gloves on for half an hour or so and you get ten thousand; win or lose. Get me?” Brewer was on fire now. He rose with balled fists and squared himself. “Bring him on,” he cried. “I’m ready right now. Who is it? The little runt I flattened out a while ago?” Donovan jumped up with a joyous laugh. “Never mind who; I'll tell you about that later. The fight won’t be for about two months. In the meantime I’ll pay all your expenses and foot your chewing tobacco bills besides. We'll go right out and find you a good rooming place now!” Thus a new hope was born, and Eddie Donovan saw riches rolling his way once more. The mighty One Round Higgin was not averse to the match when the full signifi- cance of it was explained by Donovan. Though’ he realized that he had killed the goose that laid the golden egg by finishing ofi the title aspirants in one or two rounds, yet there was a certain inborn pig-headed pride about him that would not allow him voluntarily to lengthen a fight in order to give the spectators arun for their money. His method was to attack immediately with an overwhelming ferocity that, in nearly every instance, filled his adversary with dreadful amazement, and its attendant impotency. Then, at the psychological mo- ment, when he had his victim thoroughly mystified or hypnotized, as some insisted, COMMUC NOO/KS (©)