Part 27 (1/2)

And then, like a panther, thein with a vicious left hook to the jaw, folloith lightning rapidity, by a right upper cut to the chin that lifted Battling Dago Pete a foot froainst the foot of the further wall

It was a clean knock-out, and when Cassidy and Hurricane got throughconsciousness were apparent, the professor turned to Billy

”Got any rin

”I guess the big dinge's safe for a while yet”

”Not if you'll keep on stayin' away from the booze, kid,” said Professor Cassidy, ”an' let o to it; but first, stake me to a feed

The front side of my stomach's wrapped around my back bone”

CHAPTER XVIII THE GULF BETWEEN

FOR three hters from New York and its environs He thrashed them all--usually by the knockout route and finally local sports co about him a bit, and he was matched up with second-raters from other cities

These men he cleaned up as handily as he had the others, so that it was apparent to fight fando, quiet ”unknoas a comer; and pretty soon Professor Cassidy received an offer froainst a real ”hope” who stood in the forefront of hopedoht thedifficulty in finding opponents

Professor Cassidy thought so too, and grinned for two hours straight after reading the challenge

The details of the fight were quickly arranged In accordance with the state regulations it was to be a ten round, no decision bout--the weight of the gloves was prescribed by law

The nao was sufficient to draw a fair house, and there were sooodchampion,”

as Billy's opponent was introduced, stepped into the ring he received a hearty round of applause, whereas there was but a scattered ripple of handclapping to greet thewith a first-rate fighter, and as he saw the huge onist and recalled the stories he had heard of his prowess and science, Billy, for the first time in his life, felt a tremor of nervousness

His eyes wandered across the ropes to the sea of faces turned up toward him, and all of a sudden Billy Byrne went into a blue funk Professor Cassidy, shrewd and experienced, saw it even as soon as Billy realized it--he saw the fading of his high hopes--he saw his castles in Spain tu prone within that squared circle as the hand of the referee rose and fell in cadence to the ticking of seconds that would count hiso' this,” and he pressed a bottle toward Billy's lips

Billy shook his head The stuff had kept him down all his life--he had sworn never to touch another drop of it, and he never would, whether he lost this and every other fight he ever fought He had sworn to leave it alone for HER sake! And then the gong called hi

Billy knew that he was afraid--he thought that he was afraid of the big, trained fighter who faced hiht that had gripped his h to defeat Billy's every chance for victory, and after the big ”white hope” had felled Billy twice in the first minute of the first round Cassidy knew that it was all over but the shouting

The fans, atory re stiff!” and ”Back to de farh above the others a shrill voice cried ”Coward! Coward!”

The word penetrated Billy's hopeless, muddled brain Coward! SHE had called hied her ht him a coward, yet as he died he had said that he was the bravestsamurai with their keen swords and terrible spears He saw the little rooain he faced the brown devils who had hacked and hewed and stabbed at hiht to save the wo for a man to fear who had faced death as Billy had faced it, and without an instant's consciousness of thewith him, and then the shouts and curses and taunts of the crowd sain the heavy fist of the ”coht Billy to the ong saved him

It was a surprised and chastened mucker that walked with bent head to his corner after the first round The ”white hope” was grinning and confident, and so he returned to the center of the ring for the second round During the short interval Billy had thrashed the whole thing out

The crowd had gotten on his nerves He was trying to fight the whole crowd instead of just onethat happened after he faced his opponent sent the fans into delirious ecstasies of shouting and hooting

Billy swung his right for his foe's jaw--a terrible blow that would have ended the fight had it landed--but the man side-stepped it, and Billy's ained his feet the ”white hope” aiting for hiain to lie there, quite still, while the hand of the referee marked the seconds: One Two Three Four Five Six Billy opened his eyes Seven Billy sat up Eight Theof that monotonous count finally percolated to thecounted out!