Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 15, 1924 — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

YOUNG that one wallop from him would send Billy to a place where little birds would be sing- ing roundelays. But as for me, I was takin’ a quick but sufficient inventory of this Billy man. I seen he stacked up a little different from. what I had supposed. It was true that his legs was kind of spindly and his waist was what you might call waspish, but above that I’m danged if he didn’t have a kind of a stocky look that I’d never noticed before. And his arms was long, longer than Jimmie’s. Also his hands was knotted at the present time. ‘ Fingoes,” says I to myself, “can it be possible that a man can wear a mustache like his an’ dance like he can and attempt to hug a married lady and get his face slapped for his pains and still be a fighting man? To Jimmie’s utter surprise and dis- may, the same may prove to be true.” Well, they was standing there, glaring at each other, their fists beginning to swing a little and I knowed ructions was not far off. “T will keep my sanity if you will not,” says Billy, sudden. ‘‘ Those people will be flocking up the hil in a few minutes. I do not wish to Iet them see me punching you all over the lot. I would suggest that we move up the road a piece so that we will be unnoticed and alone.” “Come right along,” though I could see an astonished look come creeping over his face like it was a-long . ways from home and didn’t know how to get back. - However, Jimmie wheels around and marches off up the road. Billy follows him,. and. I trot alongside Billy. “ You’re an officer of the law, are you not?” Billy asks me. a ‘“ Generally speaking,” says I, “ but this is my day off. Jimmie and me are on a tear.” | ‘All I ask is that you do not interfere,” he says, calm. ‘I intend to beat this man -severely. I think he does not know that I am a boxer. mous men.” “ Jimmie packs a fair punch his ownself,” { says. “You just watch him land it,” he says. . REBELS. says Jimmie, © I have boxed with some fa-. 685 Some distance up the road Jimmie stopped. We was out of sight and out of Pound of anybody that would come up the il. : “This suits you as a battleground, does it?” Jimmie sneers. | Aristocrat though he was, this Billy seemed to believe in what you might call direct action. He come round in the road and let fly with his right fist all in one motion. Ping! Jimmie’s jaw received the blow like it was a bird coming home to its nest. Well, Billy was a boxer all right, I could see; but he would have to more than box if he expected to leave any permanent reminder with Jimmie. Jimmie just took that blow, ate it up, and came in for more. He got more—two or three smart blows on the mouth and jaw. They only made him shake his head like he was annoyed some. Then—smash! he let fly a wallop that con- nected with Billy’s nose. Billy’s nose responded right amiably. He had to stop and get out his handkerchief and wipe the red flow away. I think he must have knowed what kind of a gentle- man he was dealing with in Jimmie, for he let down his guard while he nursed his nose. Jimmie didn’t hit him while he was doing it. “You can go down on your knees and apologize for your actions and that will be all of this,” says Jimmie. | “ Huh!” says Billy, and he squares away again. He weaves-in with his shoulders moving back and forth and his hands going in little circles. Jimmie stands stock still, contempt in his eyes. Billy makes a pass or two and tries for a right swing, starting it short. It got home all right, but there wasn’t noth- ing back of it. He wasn’t a boxer that could land a knockout with his fist a foot or so from the mark. Then Jimmie’s right fist went straight home. Billy tried to block, but he was a shade too slow. The fist caught him on the side of the jaw and it had all Jimmie’s young strength behind it. knees buckled; a drawn look come into his face; down he went. He lay still. Gosh, it was a knockout and I had never seen one before. I creaked down beside Billy and began to rub his hands. I didn’t Billy tottered; his © <Si DOO om