Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1914-05-01
Ole
AbysrnaI Brute
By JACK LONDON
cHAPTER

He can't bring hlmSelr 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
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
tumbled to it? He was scared as
jackrabbit He took blankets an am
munition an liked for tall timber.
mot for u 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 EN- !
did Twice she rode over on cayuse
all the way from Samson's Flat. an
was sorry for the young creature. She
was fair hungry for the boy, and she
looked it in her face. An at the end
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 a 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 be fights! It's
the old savage Irish that flares in
him, an drives the fists of him.
mot that be goes off his base. Don't
walk away with that. At my best
was never as cool as he. l misdoubt
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
81 made 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 half will do the
turn. And when he wants he can
. spring like buck kangaroo, might
in? Wait till you see. Better than his
outfghtin, and he could sure "a spar
red with Peter Jackson an outfooted
Corbett in his best | tell you, I've
: taught IN it all, to the last trick, and
he's improved on the teachin'. He's
fair genius at the game,
IAN he's had plenty Of husky noun
tain men to try out on. | gave him
the fancy work and they gave him the
slu rim. Nothing shy or delicate about
them Roarin' bulls an big grizzly
bears, that's what they are, when it
comes to huggin' in a clinch or swing
in rOughlike 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:
TITS the funny think he don't take
f1ghtin' seriously. It's that easy to
him he thinks it play. But wait till
he's tapped IA swift one That's all
wait. An youth see m throw on the
juice In that cold storage plant of his
an turn loose the prettiest scientific
walIopin' 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 bigges
fghtin' man the ring has ever seen, OF
will ever see in a thousand year:
again"
The manager peered through the
open door rubbing the sleep from bis
heavy eyes. and saw young gian
walk into the clearing. In one hanC
was a rife across his shoulders
heavy deer, under which he moved al
If it we're weightless
He was dressed roughly in blue over
alls and wooden shirt, open at thu
throat Coat he had none, and on hi
feet instead Of brogans were mecca
sins Stubener noted that his wall
was smooth and catlike without sug
gestion of his 22O pounds Of weight t.
which that of the deer was added.
The fight manager was impresser
from the first glimpse. Formidabl
the young fellow certainly was, bu
the manager sensed the strangenes
and unusualness of him He was
!. new type. something different from tn
/, run of fighters
He seemed creature Of the wild
more a night roaming figure from
some old fairy story or folk tale thai
twentieth century youth.
A thing Stubener quickly discovers
was that young Pat was not much of
7, talker He acknowledged old Pats in
- PRODUCTION with grip of the hand, bu
without speech. and silently set t
work at building the fire and gettin
ssrsRS he