Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 162: what you’re looking at

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

318 building of the city was packed with spec- tators, and had it been twice as large it could not have accommodated those per- sons who now kicked their heels on the sidewalks and street, unable to get within. No athletic club of the town but was rep- resented in the audience, and every Pastime and every John L. Sullivan alive and well this day was on hand. For the John L’s looked to O’Hern to repeat; while the Pas- times looked for him to do nothing of the kind. Among the Pastimes, themselves, there was not altogether lacking criticism of those mental processes of Conley which, for three successive times, had permitted O’Hern to soak him on the chin; though, hearing them argue with the John L. Sullivans, it would have appeared that they believed the proc- ess reversed and that by some strange turn of luck Conley’s chin had hurled itself upon O’Hern’s fist. The Conley-O’Hern bout was the last on the program. This was by general agree- ment, it being admitted on all hands that the two young gentlemen were the class of the amateurs of the town. A spirited fight was expected, and this in spite of the last three conflicts, each so unexpectedly ended by a sudden propulsion of O’Hern’s fist— or of Conley’s chin, according to how one viewed it. All other bouts being concluded, the crowd awaited the final one. Manager Burke first appeared in the ring, carefully inspecting ropes, posts, floor, being deter- mined to eliminate any intervention of the supernatural in favor of the lucky Mr. O’Hern. Manager Burke was unusually serious. He was very anxious for Pat Conley to win. And upon his own responsibility he was calling in the aid of psychology. The two young battlers entered the ring. The referee brought them together, and ex- plained that they were to go four rounds to a decision—unless the affair happened to be decided before then. The two shook hands, and as they stood facing each other the crowd noted that O’Hern was a dark youth and Conley a red one, and that O’Hern looked very confident. and Conley very grim. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. Round One: From the first there was plenty of action, this being an amateur bout, and not a professional. Fists flew. Conley’s red head bobbed about as blows landed on it, but no more than did his op- ponent’s. The thump of gloves sounded like the beating of carpets. Across the ring the men rushed and back again, and if the red chased the black one instant, the operation was reversed the next. The crowd yelled. The referee panted from his exertions. Manager Burke, for once, forgot himself and chewed his nails. Never were two fighters more intent upon their business than were Conley and O’Hern when the bell rang for time. | There was a minute for recuperation be- tween rounds. Both men breathed some- what faster, but otherwise neither seemed in immediate need of repairs.. It had been an even round and, excepting Pastimes and John L’s, all spectators were agreed to that. To be safe, the seconds worked on the young gentlemen’s legs and the managers — assailed their ears. Conley sat glowering at his opponent; and if there appeared any advantage to either man at this time, it was in that O’Hern looked so cocksure con- cerning the future. Manager Burke noted the look, and weighed its effect. Ten seconds before time was up he winked at Tom Thorpe sit- ting near the ringside; at which that indi- vidual muttered, low yet clear, the mono- syllable: “ Cheese!” Conley made a start in the direction of Thorpe. ‘Forget it!” yelled Burke. “ Take it out on O’Hern!”’ Round Two: Immediately the fighters clashed in the middle of the ring. The blows fell faster than before. Their sound was now a tattoo on a drum. No carpet was ever beaten so thoroughly. In the hail of fists O’Hern’s nose suffered. It bled, and the wonder was that no nose had bled be- fore. But because of this there was no slowing up of the combatants; they seemed composed of iron and rubber. Near the end of the round O’Hern did land the hardest blow of the battle, on Con- | ley’s ribs; and Conleyimmediately_retal-.