Evening star., 1923-03-11
Merle Renton Had A1aoays
Played Square: Wondered Why
That Should Be Wished on Him.

like the lower h2if OF a marc
edged peach basket. Wal
packed with men. Tht
September night was sickeningly hot
In the exact center Of the place
was a raised platform, a twenty
tour-foot squared ring. Above this
beat down a score OF glaring cleo
trio lights bringing out into sharp
relief three human figures.
OF this trio one was a sweating
and red-faced man in shirt sleeves
and baxgy trousers. Tho arc lights
made his bald head shine like a
halo. He was Honest Tim Con-
stantin. and he was refereeine one
OF tho most spectacular and best ad-
vertised fights the Cestus Athletic
Club had staged for a year.
The rings two other occupants
were Spike Kennedy and Merle
Renton.
Stripped to trunks and socks and
canvas shoes, they faced each other.
painting through set teeth. their
faces engorged and biood-smeared.
their hairy chests and white torso
sides spattered with reddish-olue
landed.
It was Merle Renton's fight. The
wise ones had seen that from the
end Of the first round, in spite OF
Kennelly's savage work. And they
had seen it Increasingly in every
one OF the six rounds that had fol-
lowed
Kennedy was born fighter,
crafty, ferocious. apelike in his dy-
nan1ic strength But Renton was
besting him. Steadily, with no gal
lery plays and with no atom Of
lost motion. Merle had tackled his
lob. Bit by bit he was wearing down
his taller and Shower opponent.
For the most part the crowd was
glad. For Merle Renton. welter-
weight champion OF the east. was
popular. Every fight fan knew him
to be square and clean.
From the antipodeS had come Spike
Kennedy, New Zealand's welterweight
champion. Across the continent he
had fought his way. from the west
travelling east, winning victory after
victory-sometimes In a way that
his fame for craftsmanship. And at
last he had challenged Merle Renton.
NOBODY in the Cestus arena that
Y night knew better than did
Spike Kennedy that the New
Zealanders unbrolsen line OF VIC
tories was in danger, just then, Of
sudden curtailment. Ruse after ruse
he tried-ruses which earned him
curt warnings from Constantin and
an occasional ringsde hiss.
Tho men came Up fo- the eighth
round Merle advanced to the CEN
ter in a business-like fashion.
Spike came out Of his corner with
a. rush. The men crashed together
in midring in volley OF short-arm
labs which eliminated almost In
stantly in a clinch.
As they clinched, Spike brought up
one arm awkwardly as if to hit his
antagonist on the forehead The
referees eye followed the silly ma
neuver as Kennedy had intended It
should. And, in the same instant,
Spike brought down his heel with
all his strength and the full weight
Of his 140-odd pounds on Merle's
instep.
The instep is one Of the body's most
cogent nerve centers. The stamp OF
Kennelly's heel, for all it's soft rub
Der sheathing, sent a torrent OF an
gutsh surging through Renton's
whole body. For the first time in
his five-years experience az a fighter,
Merle hung on in the clinch-hung
on despairingly. lest he topple to the
ground.
Now. then. boys tho referee was
tntontng. Break clean, here. Act
nice: Break away, I'm telling you!
Break Renton-
Still half dazed with pain. Merle
ebeyed. He did not make complaint.
IL was not his way to squeal to the
referee.
AT once, Kennedy was at Renton,
like raging tiger. AS he charged,
ne aimed a mighty left swing for the
aw.
Merle saw the swing coming. He
threw up his guard. at the Same time
Jerking his head to one side and STEP
ing backward.
But, thanks to pared nerves and
dazed brain, the move was too slow.
His tortured foot would not carry
him away soon enough. Nor did his
glove fly UP in time to block the
blow. Over Merle's guard flashed the
swing.
The thunderbolt fist crashed
straight into the center OF Renton's
forehead, just above the eyebrows.
Its impact sent him to the floor. II
would have felled heavyweight
Instantly, Merle Renton gathered
his feet under him. Before the referee
had reached the count Of two, ne was
IN his feet and ready for the fray.
But, even as he scrambled up.
Merle was aware that the fuses-in
the buildings electric light apparatus
had burned out. The arena was in
pitch darkness.
Merle frowned vexedly. 1t was
very annoying. He half-turned, to
grope his way TO his own corner
Why didn't one of his seconds light
a match to guide him?
The crowd was still yelling and
cheering and shouting encourage
Inent; Just az though the place was
not in pitch darkness.
Then, in sick horror, Merle under
stood It was not the light. but h,s
sight was gone!
To the spectators at large, the only
thing apparent was that Merle Rem
ton had gotten to his feet and that
he was apparently dizzy or confused
by the force OF the knockdown.
Spike Kennedy, with his remaining
strength and speed. flashed In. Then.
al he bored in at his stumbling rrop-