Evening star., 1926-11-07
he wA9lN ntD ME AL m

LINGERER.
lieved to observe that Mr. Todd opened
the proceedings In manner that
seemed TO offer little scope for any dis
play Of Battling Billson's fatal Kind
heartedneSs. l had not forgotten how
at Wonderland our Rattler, with the
fight in hand, had allowed victory 10
he snatched from him purely through
sentimental distaste for being rough
with his adversary. a man who had
had a lot of trouble and had touched
Mr. Billson's heart thereby. Such a
disaster was unlikely to occur to-
night. 1t was difficult to see how
any one in the same ring with him
could possibly be for Alt Todd. A
| tender pity was the last thing his
behavior was calculated to rouse In
an opponent.
Directly the gong sounded he
| tucked away what little forehead
| Nature had given him beneath his
| fringe. breathed loudly through his
nose and galloped into the fray. He
seemed to hold no bigoted views as
to which hand 1t was best to employ
as medium of attack. Right or
left. 1t was all one to ALI. And II
he could not hit MIR. Rillson with his
| hands he was perfectly willing, so
long as the eye Of authority was not
too keenly vigilant. to butt him with
his head. Broad-minded--that was
ALI Todd.
Wilberforce BillsOn. veteran OF
hundred fights on a hundred scat
tered water fronts, was not back
ward in joining the revels. 1t was
Just the kind Of warfare he had
been used TO all his life, and pre-
cisely the sort most calculated to
| 1T civ 81 htc
round came to an end with the Bat
tier leading.
THE second round followed the same
general lines as the first. The fact
| that up to now he had been foiled
| in his attempts to resolve Bathing
Billson into his component parts had
| had no dampening effect on Alf Todds
ardor. Nevertheless. at the end OF
round two he was still a shade behind.
Round three added further points to
| the Battlers score. and at the end Of
round four All Todd had lost so much
ground that the most liberal odds were
required to induce spectators to ven
| ture their cash on his chances.
| But in boxing there Is always the
| thousandth chance. AS he came out
| of his corner for round five II sudden
| ly became plain that things were not
we'll with our man. Some chance blow
in that last melee OF round four must
| have found a vital spot for he was
obviously in had shape.
| Mr.. Todd. for his part. was new
man. He leaped at Battling Billson.
and Ukridge's grip on my arm became
painful.
All Todd came on. He came jauntily
and in the manner Of one moving to
feast or festival. This was the end OF
d perfect day. and he knew 1t. He
eyed Battling Billson as Il the latter
had been a pot of beer He shot out
his left, and 1t landed on Mr.. Billsons
nose. Nothing happened. He drew
back his right and poised It almost
lovingly for a moment. 1t was during
this moment that Battling Billson
came to life.
The ropes collided with the small
Of All Todds back. Something else
collided with his chin. He endeavored
TO withraw.. but a pulpy glove took
him on the odd fungoid growth which
he was accustomed to call his ear
Another glove impinged upon his jaw
! And there the matter ended for All
Todd
| Battling Rillson Is the winner" In
toned the referee.
ITIKRIDGE bounded off to give his
- Battler a managers blessing, and
I went home. I was smoking a last
pipe before going 10 bed when a ring
at the front -doorbell broke In upon my
meditations. 1t was followed by the
voice of Ukr1dge.
| | was a little surprised. I had not
been expecting to see Ukridge again
tonight.
"Give me drink. old horse" said
Ukridge, bursting into the room.
What's the matter?" l asked.
| Matter? I'll tell you what's the
matter" moa ned Ukridge. He splashed
seltzer into his glass He reminded
me Of King Lear. do you know how
much l get out of that fight tonight?
| Ten quid! Just 10 rotten. contemplate
sOvereigns, That's what's the matter"
| II don't understand.
| THE purse was 80 pounds. Twenty
for the winner My share is 10. Ten,
| I'll trouble you, What in the name
Of everything Internal Is the good OF
10 quid?"
| But you said Billson told yo,I---''
Yes; know l did. Two hundred
was what he told me he was to get
And the weakminded. furtive, under.
handed son Of Belial didn't explain
that he was to get it for losing.''
! 'Losing?"
Yes. He was to get it for losing
| Some fellows who wanted a chance 10
do some heavy betting persuaded him
to sell the fight"
| But he didn't sell the fight"
II know that. That's the whole
trouble. And do you know why he
didn't? I'll tell you. Just as he was
all ready to let himself be knocked
out in that NTH round the other bloke
happened to tread on his ingrowing
toenail. and that made him 80 mad
that he forgot about everything else
and sailed in and hammered the
stufing out Of him. Have YOU ever
In your life heard OF such a footl!ng.
| idiotic. woolen- headed proceeding?
Throwing away a fortune, an abso-
lutte dashed fortune. purely to crafty
a momentary whim! Hurting away
wealth beyond the dreams of avarice
simply because a bloke stamped on
his ingrowing toenail. His ingrowing
| tOenail.' Ukridge laughed raspingly.
What right has boxer to have an
| ingrowing tOenail? And il he has an
ingrowing toenail. surely--my gosh
he can stand a little trifiing discomfort
for half minute. The fact of the
matter is. old horse, boxers aren't
| what they were. The old bulldog
breed has disa ppeared entirely"
And with a moody nod Stanley