Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

¥ ~~ « > h — high and crouching as tt comes. ACTION! - knew only that he must react unhesitatingly to every spoken wish of Director Briscoe. - Heeler Kull set himself a second time. Purring into. Jimmy’s ear from behind, low but vibrantly distinct, Briscoe gave him the situation, precisely as he had done so often in the days when the Beautycraft camera- man was shooting a picture. “He'll try the same thing again, Jimmy. Take the blow on your left arm, holding tt Then up- percut with your right to the jaw—hard!” The voice was too low for Heeler Kull to follow. It is ~doubtful, indeed, if he could have sensed shouted directions; for he was deaf now to every sound save the one thudding blow that was to flatten Jimmy Wing. Stealing forward toward the boy before him, he put shoulder and body into one crushing swing. Jimmy threw up his left arm as guard, timing it nicély. The blow landed there and spent itself; the glove hung fast to the teddening flesh for a moment, while’ Heeler Kull’s body pivoted half around, } “ Now!’’ spat Director Briscoe. Putting into the uppercut every ounce of his gathering strength, Jimmy shot his right to the other’s chin. Heeler Kull, hurt and bewildered, lurched back on his heels. “ Rush him!’ shouted Briscoe’s dynamic voice. “ Don’t pull your punches! Every- thing you've got, Jimmy! Into him—hard! Hard! Hard!” Before the dazed Heeler could set, Jim- my was all over him, slamming in his blows, battering, tearing, ripping, mauling, in ‘a mad variety of hooks jabs, jolts swings, and uppercuts. Heeler Kull fought back wildly, but there was no covering nor countering that could ward -eff or stop this, sudden avalanche of flying gloves. beaten back and down. He lunged forward to clinch, only to meet a terrific*punch flush on the neck, where it landed just below the jaw-bone. Jimmy felt Heeler’s arms clutch him with a grip like death. He halted his furious onslaught, waiting for Briscoe’s next in- structions. The roar of the crowd waned i ' like an echoing boom of thunder in the dis- tance.. Heeler Kull hung in his arms, a dead weight. He was being 367 Something had happened, but Jimmy could not fathom what it was. He was aware only that Heeler made no effort to free himself, or to get a fresh grip. Per- haps, of all the crowd, Briscoe was the first to understand. “ All right, Jimmy,” said the director; “he’s out—cold! Lay him down.” Jimmy pried loose the clutching arms. Heeler Kull sagged till the other’s hands ‘were in his arm-pits. Holding him thus, Jimmy walked forward a step or two, strad- dling the inert body, and laid it gently upon the canvas, face up. The referee pushed him back and bégan to count over the pros- trate form. “Fight! Nine!” A longer pause. “Ten and out!” - The referee lifted Jimmy’s arm in token of victory. He had won with a clean knock- out; the middleweight crown was his. As Briscoe sprang through the ropes, Jimmy drew a long breath, shuddered oncé, and collapsed. When the new middleweight champion opened wondering eyes, he became aware that somebody was trying to explain some- thing to him. Jimmy decided he must be hearing ‘things, because the voice belonged to that of the doc in Milwaukee. No, it was Dr. Ballard sure enough. Doc was there, sitting by his side and telling him some- thing over and over again. ““ He’s all right.” (Now who did the doc mean by that?) ‘“ You understand, Wing? He’s all right. He’s come back to his proper self. He’s as fit as ever and in six months he’ll be at the top of the heap again. You remember I told you that a mental shock might do what my operation couldn’t do. That’s what happened. He -saw you knocked down for the first time in a ring, exactly as he’d planned to have it happen when the light cluster in the studio fell on him. And that—” Roving past the surgeon, Jimmy Wing’s eyes settled on some one standing behind him. It was Larry. No, it wasn’t Larry. It was some one wearing Larry’s clothes; some one keen, alert, and eager. -It was— Jimmy struggled up through the blankets. “Mr. Briscoe!” “ Jimmie! ” Original fro 1INOO ai AGO! a) a) 1A) CO© mm THE OHIO STATE UI