The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-11-20

caught himself, came toward Pop
and dropped heavily on the stool.
There was a cut over his eye. He
was bewildered. He looked scared.
He breathed hard. Pops heart
sank. His fears we're realized.
Johnny wasn't strong enough
for Scarfa. He couldn't take it.
He doused the boy with water.
He smeared collodion over his
cut eye. He pulled his trunks
wide at the waist. He talked fast.
You're all right, JOHNNY" he
frantically whispered. "You got
the fight. Box him. Stay away
from him. Run if you have to.
He's tired. Stay away. You only
got four rounds to go. Remem-
ber!" Pop warned. Keep away!
Box him!"
Johnny started YEARLY for the
center of the ring. But Scarfa
wasn't waiting. Scarfa was on
him like wounded bear, hammer
ing, clawing. Johnny's hands were
up. He was covering.
He was moving to the left. He
Smothered Scarfa in a clinch. The
referee broke them. Pop could see
by the way Johnny boxed that his
head was clearing. He had Scarfa
at arms length again. His left
had Scarfa's head bobbing like a
cork.
Johnny was slipping inside
Scarfa's guard or catching his
punches in mid-air. He was him.
self again. Pop breathed a sigh
of relief. Johnny was out of
danger now. The fight was still
his. If he could keep away.
Even trained for years as he
was to foretell punch before it
started from a fighters stance,
Pop barely caught the end of the
right that crashed suddenly
against Johnny's jaw.
Johnny dropped on his face as
though pole-axed. The crowd rose,
roaring. The referees arm moved
up and down rhythmically as he
counted:
"TWo-Three-Four-"
POPS SURPRISE
Pops old eyes were pinned on
Johnny, lying on his face, his head
Graded on his arms. They widened
suddenly. A shadow in fighting
trunks materialized in the ring
and merged into Johnn's protrate
body.
Mine" the referee was chant
ing.
Johnny literally bounced up off
the floor. He did not Stagger to-
ward Scarfa and a clinch. He
came weaving, crouched, his head
shooting out to draw Scarfa's will
ing punch.
Scarfa threw it and got a left
to the body and a right to the Jaw
that sat him on his launches. He
was up Immediately to run into a
furry of rights and let's that
made him sound like a drum. The
crowd was on it's feet, screaming.
The bell rang.
The Johnny who came spring
ingly back to his corner was not
the Johnny who had left it. This
one sat down grinning. He opened
his mouth for the water, Swirled
it around and Spat like a geySer.
He glared across the ring at
Scarfa, whose seconds were work
ing frantically over him. Pop no
ticed that Johnny wheezed as he
breathed. But his eyes were muir
derouS.
He was in the center of the ring
at the sound of the gong, throwing
punches at the weary Scarfa as
he came within range. He stag
gered him with left to the body.
Snarling, he threw the thumb
OF his left glove across his mouth.
From his crouch, his hot eyes
measured Scarfa. His left dashed
out and landed on Scarfa's stom-
ach. Scarfa grunted. His guard
dropped as he bent over.
Johnny'S right Whistled through
the air. Landed on Scarfa's Jaw,
The gorilla man fell like a dying
tree, lit on his face, rolled over,
He was still there when the referee
finished his count.
JOHNNY WINS
Pop was yelling as the referee
lifted Johnny'S arm to signal he
was the victor. He ran to the
center Of the ring and threw the
bathrobe and his arms around
him.
But Johnny did not seem to
know him. He seemed in a daze.
They had to help him through the
ropes and to his dressing room,
There, Pop had him laid on a
table and began to rub him,
Johnny was still wheeling. Pop
stopped rubbing and peered down
at him. Johnny's eyes were va
cant, dead. Pop thrust the smell.
ing salts under his nose.
Johnny snorted, coughed, moved
his head away from the pungent
enemy. His eyes closed and
opened and there was light in
them. He lay quiet a second.
Looked up. Saw Pop. The tears
welled in his eyes.
I'm sorry 1 lost the fight, Pop, I"
ne Whlmpered. Il was doing all
right until he hit me with that
left; I thought the roof fell on
me-. Pop was grinning. well, I
guess that finishes me as fighter.
NO more good bouts for me-"
Don't worry about fl hts,