River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-02-19

- years." continued Old Pat.
"He can't bring himself to
understand the creatures, an few of
them has he seen at that Twas the
schoolteacher over at Samson's Flat
that put the poetry stuff in his head.
She was clean dafy over the young
'un, an he never a-knowin'.
"A warm haired girl she was-not a
mountain girl, but from down in the
fat lands-an' as time went by she
was fair desperate, an the way she
went after him was shameless An
what dye think the boy did when he
tumbed to it? He was scared as
jackrabbit He took blankets an am
munition an liked for tall timber.
mot for month did lay eyes on
him, an then he sneaked IN after dark
and was gone in the morn. Nor would
he as much as peep at her letters.
Burn 'em, he said An burn 'em
did. Twice she rode over on a cayuse
all the way from Samson's Flat. an |
was sorry for the young creature. She
was fair hungry for the boy, and she
of three months she gave up school
an went back to her own country, an
then it was that the boy came home
to the shack to live again.
"WOmen ha' been the ruination Of
many good fighter but they won't be
of him. He bushes like girl if any
thing young in skirts looks at him
second time or too long on the first
one. An they all look at him. But
when he fights, when he fights! It's
the old savage Irish that flares in
him, an drives the fists of him.
"Not that he goes off his base. Don't
walk away with that. At my best
was never as cool as he, l misdc ubt
twas the wrath of me that brought
the accidents But he's an iceberg
He's hot an cold at the one time, a
live wire in an ice chest"
Stubener was doing when the old
mans humble aroused him. He listen
ed drowsily
II made a man o. him! made man
o. him. with the two fists of him, an
the outstanding legs of him. an the
straight seem eyes. And ! know the
game in my head, an I've kept up
with the times and the modern
changes The crouch?
''Sure, he knows all the styles an
economies He never moves two inches
when an inch and a half will do the
turn And when he wants he can
spring like buck kangaroo. might
hoV hi
outfightin', and he could sure "a spar
red with Peter Jackson an OutfOOted
Corbett in his best | tell you, I've
taught m it all. to the last trick, and
he's improved on the teachin'. He's
a fair genius at the game.
"An' he's had plenty of husky noun
tain men to try out on. / gave him
the fancy work and they gave him the
sluggin' Nothing shy or delicate about
them Roarin' bulls an big grizzly
bears. that's what they are. when it
comes to huggin' in clinch or swing
in rOughIike in the rushes. An he
plays with 'em. Man, dye hear me?
He plays with them, like you an me
would play with little puppy dogs"
Another time Stubener awoke, to
hear the old man mumbling:
"'Tis the funny think he don't take
fghtin' seriously. It's that easy to
him he thinks it play. But wait till
he's tapped a swift one That's all
wait. An you'll see IN throw on the
Juice in that cold storage plant of his
an turn loose the prettiest scientific
walopin' that ever you laid eyes on"
In the shivery gray Of mountain
dawn Stubener was routed from his
blankets by old Pat.
Hes comm up the trail now" was
the hoarse whisper "Out with We an
take your first peep at the biggest
fghtin' man the ring has ever seen. or
will ever see in thousand years
again"
The manager peered through the
open door. rubbing the sleep from his
heavy eyes. and saw young giant
walk into the clearing. In one hand
was a rife, across his shoulders