Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-04-07
III M M
MARY MzDTHORNE
BY
GEORGE BARR
Author Of "Graustark." ~Truxton King" etc.
Copyright. 1911, BY Dodd, Mead & Co.
l!!l I!ll lIIl
CHAPTER lv-Continued.

voice was hard n unmuSlcal, but
friendly.
''Thank you. sir" said Eric. as they
shook hands. Adam Carr's hand was
soft but firm. 1t vas hardly what Eric
expected. He looked like a man who
had known nothing but hard labor.
Father says you n he are great
friends. It's very good of you to come
manner was tender. but his. voice n
| eyes hard as flint. il the metaphor is
permissible.
Old Jabez chuckled. II reckon he
gets something for his trouble, Adam.
I fill his brain chuck full of hair raisin'
lies. He'd oughter make a grand novel
writer, If he can jest remember all l
tell him"
You surely don't believe all my dad
| tells you. do you?" said Adam, remov-
ing his pipe to grin the better.
No. sir" said Eric promptly. He
always tells US when they're not true
That's more h he YER did at
home said Adam with a SLY wink.
Are you a sailor?" asked the boy.
Not a regular sailor said the other
deliberately. I've been a little of
everything in my time. 1t don't pay to
stick to any M thing too long: You
get in a rut. and life's a poor job ii you
stay in the rut so long that you don't
feel like making the effort to get out Of
it. Been in a scrap with somebody"
he asked, cycling Eric's bruise.
Just a friendly boxing match said
Eric. with a quick glance at Jabez.
"Feller much too big for him." re-
marked Jaoez. His cousin. A dirt
mean college chap"
Adams hard. mirthless smile re-
turned. DO you know much about
boxing?". Eric confessed his ignor-
ance of the finer points. I'm give you
a few Instructions, if you'd like EN-"
said Adam Carr .. QfrQnpa LIGHT Onroinp
into his eyes. Il can show you a few
things that will jolt this chap So he
won't get over the surprise for a week"
Eric jumped at the chance. I'll
borrow the gloves" he cried.
"All right" said Adam, sitting Town
and complacently relighting his pipe.
Wen begin tomorrow morning. I'll be
here for q. week.. Can you come to my
room in the Massasoit House?"
The next morning Eric appeared with
the gloves. Every day for a week. he
visited Adam Carr's room in the cheap
the gloves was II revelation to the boy.
Chetwynd was the merest novice in
comparison. Try as he would. Eric
could not break through his guard. nor
could he, in all his wild clumsiness,
dispell the calm Indifference that
light al a feather, and as quick as q
cat despite his stocky frame and phleg-
matte bearing. Time and again, the
boy would stop. painting, to grin sheep
ishly and bewail the fact that he could
make no impression on his adversary.
You're doing splendidly," said Adam,
ing Of the breath. THE main point
is this: l can't hit o rs cas-
lily as 1 did in the beginning.
You're learning how to take care of
yourself. You're managing to keep
cool. and that's the chief thing in box
ing. You are s~idestepping and duck
ing very neatly-something you could
not do at all III the beginning. I don't
wonder your cousin knocked your block
off. Now, I'll begin to show you a few
tricks at h game, a few punches. You
won't learn EN- very thoroughly while
I'm here. but you'll ave 'em we'll
enough to upset your cousin in good
shape. There's n thing to guard
against: don't let him rush in and
clinch. He's too big and strong for
you. He'd murder you in a wrestling
match. Keep dancing away all the
time. Get him ratified, get him mad"
Two days after Adam Carr's depar-
ture from Corinth, Eric, in the pres
ence of half a dozen envious boys who
had suffered ignolniny at Chetwynd's
hands. very effectually Inundated his
big and raging cousin. He hit him at
will. successfully evading the returns
that were NEAR to lay him out. kept
out of clinches, and cleverly outboxed
the cock OF the walk. No greater in
suit could have been offered to Chef
wynd than this. He returned to Cam
bridge fully a week earlier than he had
intended. much to the surprise Of his
parents. who. somehow, rejOiced in q
certain profound thoughtfulness that
came over their son
Eric was no a boaster. He tool his.
kNArponh nvyAW Nh sr,~voA ~r,itH hoonrpoA~o
grace. IT'S nothing to brag about"
he explained to his friends. That's
only once for me-. Just think how many
times he has whaled me-" Neverthe-
less. he had come upon q new Joy In
living. His heart was lighter. His
wyp5's hatred. but 1t also served to
create q Wholesome respect in that
young gentlemnn's breast. There was
something in that
There was q dsnse atmosphere OF
mystery surrounding Adam Carr. Eric
was unable to penetrate 1t, and he
could obtain no light from the mans
committal. He would shake his head
over Eric's eager questions, and an
swer evasiveiy when driven to q cor
ner.
when Mary added her inquiries to those
OF her brother. what business is 1t Of
yours what business he's in? It's an
honest business. and 1t amt prize fight
ing. either"
.sHow did he learn So much about
boxing?" demanded h persistent pu-
pill.
Jabez glared. From his father!" he
roared. II learned him all he knows
about It."
"oh, rats!" scoffed Eric. not at all
impolitely.
proachfully.