"The Iron Man"

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 229, 30 October 1930, Page 15

"The Iron Man"

!= THRVLLING BOXING STORY J. i — l S; (Boke Mason and Jiis Woings 5

CHAPTER XLIV.— (Continued.) ' "j EFF AND JIMMY exchanged a glance, then Jeff went on unwrapping tlie bandages, and Jimmy paced-up and dowm. "Listen, Jinun/," said Coke finally, "tbiow that cigar away and sit down. You're getting on my nerves." "O.K., champ," said Jimmy, stamping out the cigar and sitting down. * * * CiOKE GOT UP and began to uuJ dress slowly. "Hell, it's cold in here," he said, as he pulled off his shirt. "Cold," said Jimmy, "I'm sweating." "You would be," said Coke, "but I'm cold." There was a prolonged roar from the crowd, and the walls of the dressing room vibrated slightly. Coke thougiit of Chicago and the Prince Pearl. He fell back into his chair, lialf undressed. _ "I don't know what makes me so tired," he said. Jimmy looked at Jeff, wlio glanced at Coke ; neither of them spoke. "Hell," Coke exclaimed, leaping to his feet and stripping off his clotlies. "I got to snap into it, or it'll take me five l'ounds to lick that dub." rpHlS WAS BRAVADO, and Jimmy knew'it, but he was relieved ail the same. Jeff went on witli his work.' Coke got into his togs and stood in the niiddle ,of the dressing room working his arms like pistous ; then lie shadow-; boxed for a moinent. ' "All right, Jeff," he said. Jeff put the bandages aside, and Coke climbed up on the table and lay' down. Jimmy got up and began to pace the floor again, but remembering what Coke had said. he sat down and flexed his fingers. Coke lay quiet with his eyes closed, while Jeff lightfy massaged his muscles. Lewis came in, looked down at him, and sakl: "O.K." Coke nodded, and Lewis went out. "Hell of a. manager lie is," said Coko. Nobody said anything. * * * pOKE WANTED REGAN. He lay | ^ there worrying about the fight, wondering what would be • the best I thing to do. Should he try to hook | O'-Iveefe to hell and back during the j first few rounds like lie liad Larsen, or | sliould he hold off, like lie had done i against Prince Pearl, and wait for a perfect opening? Sliould he give j O'Keefe all lie liarl with his right. or I should he wait till he was tiring? What made his legs feel so funny? j And why did lie feel slightly sick at . his stomacli? May.be lie had eaten some bad food ; mayhe somebody had j put something in it. .He had heard of that. He lav there worrying; at oue moment anxious for the fightYo begin then fearing it lvbuld begin befoi'e his legs began to feel norma!. "Feeling O.K. champ?" Jeff inquir1 e^' , Aeah, ' said Coke. "Give mv lesrs a good rub."-

TXE FELT ALONE. Jeff was faithful ancl hardworking and dependable, but dumb. Jimmy was excitable and nervous. Coke had the full responsibility for tlie conduct of the fight. Jimmy, as oliief second, wouldn't be able to help any. The best tliiug he could do with to rusli inside O'Keefe's guard and murder him. If he could hit liim witli lialf a dozen hooks j squarely, he'd have him. • But how would O'Keefe fight? Some stalling way, you could bet, with Began manag- ' ing him. Coke wanted to confide in somebody, to ask advice, at the very least to talk the fight over ; even that would have beeii some relief. But he said notbing ancl lay with his eyes closed. Joe Itogers came in. "Ruby won by a knock-out," he said. /YOKE SIGHED AND envied Buby ^ Hall. He was all through for tlie ovening, and could go back to his dressing room witli not a tliiug on his mind, except mayhe a good steak and a stein of beer. Or ejse he could get his clotlies on and sit, without a worry, watcliing the other boys in the ring. "How you feeling. cliamp?" Joe inquired. "O.K." "All right," said Jeff, tappmg Coke on the shoukler. Coke got up and put on a sweater and a bathrobe, as Regan had always made him do. Then he sat 011 tlie rubbing table, swinging his feet. [11 a few minutes Regan came in to watch Jeff put 011 the haudages, while Jimmy went to O'Keefe's dressing room to watch McNeil. Regan was drunk, had a two-day beard, and looked haggard. "Hello, George," said Coke. 4; * "TTELLO, COKE," said Regan. "They tell liie you're in Al condition." "Yeali," said Coke. "I had trouble with my weiglit, but I 'jn all set novv." "Well," said Regan, "a pound more would have cost you. You better try the light-heavy class after the Rattler gets througli wyfh you." "I have been thinking abont it," said Coke. "Yeali," said Regan, "you ,pan lick anvbody in that division with the right kind of management. Unless O'Keefe tries it., He had trouble with his weiglit himself. He's got big bones. lie ain't like 3*011." "I can lick O'Keefe and not lialf try," said. Coke. "Tliat's what the wise money sa.vs." said Regan. "But the wise monei ain't always riglit. Riley's betting ou O'Keefe." (To he Continued.)