College sports -- Fiction; Short stories, American; Sports stories; Track and field -- Fiction
As usual, Johnson stepped in, leading with his left a light tap, meant
only to open up Paddy's guard, so he could swing on him. As usual, he
landed on Paddy's nose, the blood starting freely; but instead of
answering with a blind swing as before, this time Paddy took the blow
coming on; indeed, he started in before he was hit, and the blow did not
stop him at all. The result was, he found himself, for the first time,
almost, since he had put his hands up, at a good striking distance. With
a fierce grunt he smashed his huge fist full on the mark where the ribs
branch, just above the belt. It was a terrible blow, unexpected, given
with all the good intentions that a sense of debt could foster, and with
the impetus of their two weights, for Johnson was coming in himself.
It doubled his antagonist up like a frog, and Paddy was kind enough to
undouble him with a straight push in the face that straightened him up
again. Harry could not refrain from calling, "Now's your time, Pat!" for
which he was very properly warned by the referee; but Paddy really did
not hear him, and needed no advice. Science was forgotten, and in the
mix-up that followed, Paddy showed a ready hand, cultivated by many a
boyish fight and youthful set-to. Johnson was now not so much interested
in putting Paddy out, as in saving himself; he was fighting blindly,
hugging and clinching when he could; keeping away as much as possible,
and growing more and more groggy under the shower of blows that were
rained on him. Time was nearly up when, after a break away, Paddy
stepped back, gathered himself, rushed in, and swung his huge right hand
with all the strength of his powerful body. It was a half hook, and it
landed on Mr. Johnson's jaw, and he went down like a felled tree,
falling with stiff knees, and striking nothing until his face reached
the floor with a thud. He made no effort to rise, and Paddy was so wild
that, had I not called to him, I think he would have gone into Johnson's
corner for a fresh antagonist among his handlers. Johnson lay on the
floor while the ten seconds were ticked off, and then Mr. Foley stepped
to the footlights, and, announcing that Mr. O'Malley had won the bout,
handed him the fifty-dollar bill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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