The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-03-28
: this: He Would fieht the Seal


gold mine secret against the little kid.
Chuck gazed at his round face and
bruised Jaw In open amazement and
then a look OF admiration crept into
his little black eyes. And Il seemed
to me as II he were plying Tib in his
savage fashion. 1T shall be sol! he
cried, in his deep voice, that his
grandsire's blood could not rob Of It's
rumbling, chesty intonation.
"'This is to be on the square?' in.
sisted Tib.
Chuck reminded him he would still
retain the secret II cheated Then he
grew serious and faced his followers,
and swore by their Shaman that the
mill was not to be a doube.cross.
81 could sec he was crazy for go,
and realized he had probably had but
little chance to practice
"Tib touched his jaw and shook his
head, and said he would enter the ring
on the morrow. While the chief was
disappointed, he Immediately sent In
some stew for us to eat aud some oil
to rub Tbs bruises. You see, he
didn't want the fracas to be too easy.
He wanted to cherish and foster his
opponent SO as to have II interesting.
Meanwhile we went to work. Tib had
gllt-edged memory and easily re.
called all the blows so faithfully re-
produced and diagnosed by our ma
chine before Finer and his men.
tried to make him let me take his
place, for he was old enough to be my
father, but he reminded me of my e.
cent condition-lung trouble, you
know--and / had to admit one good
punch in the chest would lay me away
to get dusty. Then / stood on bale
of furs and played was the nut.brown
champion, so that he could get used
to the chiefs height, while he hoped
about like rubber ball and did some
fearful contortions. While ] didn't
believe he could ever lick Chuck,
hoped he would scare him to death by
his maneuvers. He won't make my
weight he declared, but If I've any
friends tell 'em to place their money
on me, for I'll annex that baby.
THAT night rubbed him in oil, and
he went to sleep early. Chuck kept
the gang quiet outside our dormitory,
and we were not disturbed until late
next morning. When we stepped out
into the sunlight the scenery impress.
cd me as being out Of joint For in
the midst of the Seal rivers grand
old stage settings was roped arena
that looked much like parcel of the
Bowery. And about It was sea OF
| fat faces, all eying with admiration
the husky build OF Chief Chuck. And
he, despite the keen air, had been
prompted by some New Bedford cor.
puscle to strip to the waist, quite in
| the approved pug style. Near our
| corner stood an old hag holding a
| blue.eyed, white-haired, splendid boy
wrapped in furs. Lord, sir! His hair
and eyes showed me at once he was
the missionary's kid.
"T'll teach him to accept my chal
lenge,' muttered Tib, throwing off his
coat. rolling up his shirt sleeves, and
yanking his belt up another notch
with real professional air. Why
don't he go and get a reputation be,
fore meeting the Green Mountain
Cannon Ball?'
"And | stepped into the corner and
called the names of the fighters, and
the crowd grunted in anticipation OF
much pleasure. 'Time!t yelled, my
throat getting bit choky, as picked
up the head OF Tbs little hammer
which some elf had broken In driving
the stakes. Mr.. McBurr, welter.weight
champion of the Little Seal. Mr.. T
Smith, the Vermont Passion Flower
who has licked everything on two legs
no matter how old between the tropic
of Capricorn and Pittsburg. Ready
for the first 60
This spiel struck Chuck as being
good, and he grinned appreciatively
while Tib bowed gravely and limbered
up his right arm.
| "'Time'
"And. say, sir, IL you could have
seen those two midgets mince to
wards each other on their tiptoes
Tib walking with catty, hunching
step he'd copied from the moving pic
lures, you would have felt thrill oi
Joy.
by good rights he ought to cut a
foot off each arm, observed my man
as he ruefully eyed the others enorm
GUS reach, nicely demonstrated when
he advanced his immense paw and
coyly concealed Tbs dimpled palm
from view.
"Then in a second they sprang
apart, and the big fellow feinted for
the heart and snapped dirty left al
Tibs brow. Tib lodged, but the
brawny knuckles barked his right eye
In passing, and the crowd jeered and
rocked back and forth in delight. Well
sir, the smack of that blow cut me tc
the heart. simply couldn't bear tc
see the dear old boy cufred.
'"'Kick him, Tib,' I groaned, my
eyes watering anger.
ASHAMED of YOU he mumbled
avoiding a rush and ducking to the
ropes. This seems on the square
and won't lose the babe by fouling
And he nearly lost his block by paus
ing to kiss his bleeding digits to the
kid. The blow was a left hook and