Argosy All-Story Weekly, October 6, 1923 — page 58: what you’re looking at

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

sharp, stinging blows that did not even jar the big lad, yet which by their snappy - delivery gradually began to slash his face, —— kept his nose bleeding in a steady trickle, half closed one eye, cut a lip, caused Se him to grunt when his stomach was the = = oe. __Jna regulation ring, with gloves, it would __ have been a short bout. With the Slapper - having to guard against the treacherous ~ longer. - deeper than gloves, and soon Micah’s face ~ looked so ghastly that most of the women = turned away. But the men, breathing deep, ~___ clenching their fists and teeth i in unconscious = “sympathy, grunting with each blow, never = 7 batted an eye; and the small boys huddled -in an adoring band, shrill yells rewarding -each effort of their big playmate. One of Micah’s eyes was now completely dosed: and the Slapper was beginning to = work on the other. Micah was not even ~ breathing hard, had not been dazed by any = = -of the buffets he had suffered, and yet was = being scientifically cut to pieces by a trained -— butcher ‘upon: whose features no mark yet showed. But the Slapper was breathing - = through - his mouth. ~ Perspiration rolled _. down his face; unless he could stop the = other pretty cpaick. he would collapse from _sheer. fatigue; and then Micah would prob- ably: stave his ribs int = aa = He managed. to work on Micah’s blind = ‘side, to keep him in the sun; but blind, = ~ pleeding, mutilated, the village boy was no = “quitter, ~and kept coming back for more; ~ and as the Slapper well knew, you may - block a lot of blows, but you can’t stop them all! The champions can’t do that. ~ Even as the thought crossed his mind, from a point far behind his shoulder. It fairly whistled as it came. Instead of leap- ing back, or ducking, the Slapper took a = = chance and stepped in, letting the blow pass around his head, the crook of Micah’s el- ~~ bow catching hire in the neck, and causing him to see stars; but at the same irfstant, ofa bit before, the. Slapper started a short - uppercut, rising from his toes. His left - eaught Micah on the tip of the chin; and =e he had ‘been a Seley with tongue = footing, and in a confined space, it lasted : - But to offset this, his knuckles cut Micah Junged_ in, swinging his right arm— ARGOSV-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. between his teeth, it caused him nearly to bite that unruly member intwo. The agony made even the infuriated boy cringe and falter for an instant: tears gushed from his eyes in. a blinding rain. Then the Slapper deliberately and calculat- ingly drove his right into the good optic. Micah staggered back, sightless and help- less. The Slapper stepped away, smiled, and dropped his arms. _“ FHe’s all in,” he panted. “ He’s done his stuff, and it ain’t good enough!” This noble attitude, the failure to take advantage of a helpless man’s condition, won practically everybody — over. They could not know that the Slapper might hammer away the rest of the evening at Micah, and never knock him out; they only Saw a great fighter evincing magnanimity. Micah’s fellows led him away to the pond and began to wash his bloody face and to call for court plaster and bandages. The _Slapper’s urchins restored to him his clothes, fetched a basin of clean water and washed his hands of the blood of his rival, and shrilly debated the affair. ~ Little was said as the beach wagon jogged homeward. Tucker had shaken hands with him; but the men of the Pine Tree State are taciturn. Between them and the hero- kissing French is a great gulf fixed; yet both are he-men, counting not the costs when a job has to be done. Mother Tucker seemed a little disappointed not to find some slight abrasion, some scratch to which to apply her. infallible salve. Letty said nothing be- yond the merest commonplaces; Slapper wondered if she were sore because he had. fought! Then, when they parted early to go to their rooms, everybody tired after the long, strenuous day, she turned back, threw her arms about his neck, and kissed him. Not once, but repeatedly, and upon his mouth. And she was crying! Could you beat it? “TI was so scared that he would kill you, Joe!” she whispered from the petiee of his - shoulder. “ Who—that big ashcan? N ot a chance! He couldn’t keep outa the way of his own feet, to say nothin’ of my fists!”’ ‘That wae Sea the Slapper dreamed com icboo S.€O