San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-13

Kent TO win In the second round. On
the strength of this plan, Crump had
been able TO borrow freely from friends
who ordinarily would not have lent
him a cent. He and they were plac-
ing their bets at the best obtainable
odds. Already enough money had
been placed to bring the odds unde-
sirably low, and more than to cover
the difference between % and 70 per
cent of the modest purse.
He was not new to schemes like
this, and had a genuine talent for
them.
The pang-born thought that had en-
tered Roddy's brain blossomed there.
1t bore its fruit in the second round
of his bout with Crump, at the Cestus
Athletic Club four weeks later.
This time Mary and her sister were
in a ringside box. But Roddy paid
scant heed to them. He paid less
heed to the hearty welcome of the
| crowd.
From the outset of the first round
he fought with little of his former
aggressiveness. With true fighter in-
stinct he realized that this oldster was
no match for him and that he could ,
probably end the battle whenever he
might choose to.
After the first round Justin took
him severely TO task, as Kent had :
| f6reseen, for his lack of aggression
In seeming obedience to his manager's
orders he started the second round
in his wonted hurricane style, boring
savagely in.
He drove Crump before him in q
| short arm rally that set the spectators
wild. He slammed him to the ropes<s
He held him flattened there with q
volley of lightning quick blows.
Crump dipped gracefully to one
knee, preparatory to keeling over in
we'll rehearsed Inconsistencies. As
he did so, Kent flashed past the pro-
testingly scandaliZed referee and
struck him lightly but resoundingly
on the chest.
From all over the noisily daft house
went up a gasp that was more a
groan. The young fool had thrown
away the fight when it was all his.
| In his battle mania he had so far for
| gotten every rule of the ring as to
resist the referee and then to strike a
man who was down. Truly, Kent's
slow thinking had been done to some
purpose,
As soon as he had landed the foul
blow he seemed to come to himself.
For he stepped back, under the sharp
urgence of the referees shove. He
stood there, Quiescent, moveless, while
the house Kissed and roared. His work
was done. 1t had all come out pre-
cisely as he had planned it. He had
not dared trust his powers-or lack of
p0wers-as an actor by staging fake
knockout with himself as its victim.
fTbnC hn hoI Last thn fiUhf hu tho
most palpable sort of foul. And,
somehow, he had done it very con-
vincingly. Yes, when a stupid mans
brain begins to work, there is much
peril.
Coal Mine Crump did not sink limp
ly TO the floor as he had planned and
then turn convulsively over on his
face. He knelt as he was. He could
not bring himself to speak or to stir.
He was sick with horror. Before him
lay ruin and pennilessness. He had
wagered every cent be had in the
world and much more borrowed cash
that he would be knocked out in this
round. And, 10, he had won the fight
on foul. He was ruined.
Most cheerfully he could have MUIR
dered the young idiot who had made
his beautiful plan miscarry. He could
have murdered him and then cut him
into dice.
Then, on the instant, his crafty
brain began to work. That noisily
light tap on the Enthusiastically that
was not the blow of rage-maddened
athlete. Something was queer. The
thought cleared his head.
The referee had caught Crump's
right glove and was lifting it aloft in
token of victory. Coal Mine leaped
to his feet. Hold on" he yelled, his
voice carrying shrilly to every corner
of the place. Hold on, Mr.. Referee.
He didn't land on me while l was
down. That was my own glove swat.
ting his as he led for me. l wasn's
fouled. Besides, while he was rushing
me across the ring i fouled him twice.
1t was such close quarters you couldn' d;
see it. He was between me and you.
| lost my head and hit him twice way:
below the belt. I'm man enough to-
confess it. l won't take a vict'ry I
don't earn. He didn't foul me! He
only tried to. l fouled him."
Glumly, through the resumed up
roar, the referee stared from the false
ly confessed fouler TO the flabbergasted
Kent. Then. with sharp abruptnesss
/ he turned to the audience.
ladies and gentlemen" he thun-
dered, taking refuge in Rocap's im-
mortal formula, Il was asked to ref
cree a contest This is no contest. L
don't know just what it is" he added.
in his own account. But whatever
it is, it's off. So are all bets. I
thank you"
He stalked out of the ring, leaving
the fighters to follow as they might.
The Comedy Kid" was the Chron-
icle's nickname for Roddy Kent next
morning in calling attention to the
burlesque phases which had accom-
panied each of his three fights. The
name stuck. So did his following,
which ever thereafter thronged what
ever club house he CHANGED to fight IN.
avid, even after scores OF diSappoirt-
ments. TO witness another front page
comedy scene. Kent was made man:
Il don't know what ails Harry
lamented Mary Bonnel next atter-
noon, as she and Roddy began their
walk, He seemed to like you so
much, And. ever since last night ne
saws such perfectly awful things about
YOU, WHY he told me if ever spoke
10 you again he wouldn't let me stay
another day in his house.
sThe blazes he did, grunted the
sympathetic Roddy blankly. "nat
did you say TO that:s
~i'm-I'm here. aren't Il" she made
answer so low he scarce could oehsVs
he heard.
@Thst means YOU can't keep on liv-
. ing in his house,"
Il suppose so. He"
~Sayis shouted Kent. smitten hy
the first sound and brilliant idea OK
All his brief life Say, Let's 20 house
hunting. then? Hey! How about ~.