The Indianapolis times., 1934-05-10

INsTALLMENT ONE Continued
why then. father. the sooner l
knock you down the better!'
"What?" exclaimed John Barry
staring. ID We mean TO say-you
think you can?-me?-you?
Yes" nodded Barnabas.
MY poor ladl" sighed his father.
"vour heads fair crazed, sure as
sure. but II you think you can
knock John Barty of his pins. DO
II. and there y are"
L will" said Barnabas, though
as gently as possible
4 ND now they fell to it in silence.
ia grim silence broken only by
the quick tread and shuttle of feet
and the mufled thud Of blows. John
Barty. resolute of jaw. indomitable
and calm Of eye, as in the days
when champions had gone down be-
fore the might Of his fist; Barna-
has. taller, slighter, but full OF the
supreme confidence Of youth. More
over. he had not been the daily
pupil Of two such past masters in
The art for nothing; and now he
brought TO bear all his fathers craft
and cunning, backed by the light
ming precision of Natty Bell.
In all his many hard-fought bat
ties John Barty had ever been &C
counted most dangerous when he
smiled. and he was smiling now.
Twice Barnabas staged back to the
wall, and there was an ugly smear
upon his cheek, yet as they struck
and parried, and feinted, Barnabas,
this quick-eyed, swift-fOoted Barna-
bas. was smiling also. Thus, while
they smiled upon and smote each
other. the likeness between them
was more apparent than ever, only
the mile Of Barnabas was the
smile Of youth, joyous, eXuoerant'
unconquerable.
Noting which experienced age
laughed short and fierce, and strode
in to strike youth down-then came
a rush of feet, the painting hiss OF
breath, the shock of vicious blows,
and John Barty, the unbeaten eX-
champion of all England, threw up
his arms, staged back the length
of the room, and went down with
crash.
For a moment Barnabas stood
wide-eved painting. then ran to-
ward him with hands Outstretched,
but in that moment the door was
flung open. and Natty Bell stood
between them, one hand upon the
laboring breast of Barnabas. the
other stretched down to the fallen
exSchampion.
Man Jack" he exclaimed, in his
strangely melodious voice. "Oh,
John John Barty, you as ever was
the king O. the milling cOves, here's
my hand, shake it. Lord, John,
what a master O. the game we've
made of our lad. He's stronger than
YOU and quicker than ever 1 was.
Man Jack, t was as sweet, as neat.
as pretty a knockdoWn as ever we
gave in our best days, John. Man
Jack. t is proud you should be to
lie there and know as you have a
son as can stop even your rush WI
his left an down you wi his right
as neat and proper, John, as clean
an delicate as ever man saw. Man
Jack, God bless him, and here's my
hand, John"
So. sitting there upon the floor
John Barty Solemnly shook the hand
Natty Bell held out to him, which
done, he turned and looked at mis-
son as though he had never seen
him before.
why, Barnabas!" said he; then,
for all his weight, Sprang nimbly
to his feet and coming to the man.
tel took thence his pipe and began
to fill it, staring at Barnabas the
while.
Father" said BarnabaS, advanc-
ing with hand outtsretched, though
rather diffidently-" Father"
John Barty pursed up his lips into
a soundless whistle and went on
filling his pipe.
Father" said BarnabaS again, Il
did it-as gently-as I could" The
pipe shivered to fragments on the
hearth. and Barnabas felt his fin
gers caught in his fathers mighty
grip.