El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-16
Kid Boot, Suffers From His Friends
-::- -:II:- III -:II:- -:II:-
His Handling Is Worse Than the Fight
by DAMON RUNYON.

RUNYON.
head and shoulders with chilling
'Puh-puh-purty good" gasped the
Kid, shivering.
Yer aw righ. aint chu2" inquired
the manager, solicitiously, jamming the
veteran orange into Kid Boutss mouth.
The manager wore the conventional
cap. and was in his shirt sleeves
'Blah" spluttered the Kid. meaning
that he was all right
The second who was holding him
down. despite the sqUirmings of his
victim now began slapping the Kid
on the body with astonishing force.
This process was supposed to increase
the circulation Of the Kids blood. and
maybe il did. but also it knocked the
last few whiffs of breath out Of the
Kids body.
Yer goin' good" said the manager,
"on,y you wannah use your lef' more"
yer Winniu easy" said the second
who was holding him down. but you
oughtah keep swingin'. Use yer right
more"
NO, you better jab him. advised the
second with the towel "Jab i'm with
yer lef. He's a sucker fer a lef hand
Anybody kin see at lab i'm all the
time Keep jabbin.'
Never let i'm git set" remarked the
second with the water, who was now
hopping the Kids face with a dirty
sponge
the Kids eye and began fumbling with
I the cork in his bottle.
Hold still a mint III fix at" he
said. daubing the tiny wound with
some Of the fluid from the bottle. The
Kid WINGED. He had been unmindful
of that wound up TO then. but now it
. smarted like blazes.
Weary After His REST"
Remember whud 1 told yoU-upper-
cut i'm when he's comm in" said the
I manager, as the bell rang for the sec
ond round. and they dropped out Of
the ring, yanking the stool and buckets
with them.
The Kid seemed rather weary as he
walked out for the second round and
the showing he made in this session
! was not as good as in the first. Still,
| he appeared strong enough when he
| went back to his corner
] How duh Y feel?' inquired the sec
Q Ond with the water as he gave the Kid
! another bitter bath.
! "Blah" spluttered the Kid.
Yer aw righ'," said the manager,
/ encOuragingly. "Ony you don't seem
! to use yer right a-tall Not a-talL
! Whass matter? 1t amt cut off, is it2''
you said to use my lef." replied Kid
! Bolts, feebly endeavoring TO escape the
/ restraining hands of the second and
get to an. upright position.
"Yeh but you can't do nothin' to
J him with yer let, so you Oughtah have
sense enough to switch said the man
! ager.
Don't try to box with i'm" said the
/ second with the towel, who was now
4 using such vigor in his swings that he
! covered Yards and yards of territory
"Ccr'nly, box with i'm" said the sec
ond with the water you kin outlook
( i'm easy"
| said the manager. 1T might bother
| YOU. Go on out now. and use yer
head"
but It's No Story.
Kid Bolts was quite weary indeed
| when he escaped the hands Of his
: handlers for the third round, and the
! first punch started by his opponent
! landed in the Bolts stomach. The Kids
/ vitality was at low ebb as he went into
clinch, and gazed appealingly at his
! mana ger and seconds
Keep swinginr yelled one of the
seconds.
Box i'm offah you; blk i'm righ
| Off" bawled another.
Use your lef'." shrieked the manager
, Why don't you do like ] told you2'
step away and let i'm fall down"
I cried the third second; but meantime
| Kid BOtts's opponent was doing the
| stepping away and it was Kid Bolts
( who was doing the falling down.
A fellow whose lungs are filled Will
/ water and resin dust and smoke anC
! germs. and whose body is chilled and
I whose breath had been pounded out OF
| him and whose stomach has been upset
! with swigs Of cold water and aged
1 orange juice. and who-but what's tho
| use2 This started out to be a story
but somehow we can't get il anywhere
| 1t has no plot or purpose, or finish
/ We'll said Kid BOtts's manager rs
he stepped up to the office Of the fis
! tic promoter and collected IS for tho
/ Kids end Of the preliminary encounter
] ~ don't have no luck no more. There S
I a little bum I bin workin' with an adj
/ visin' fer weeks and tryin' to MAKE
! sOm'pin' of him. and here he goes and
! quits on me. the yeller stiff