Evening star., 1941-09-14


than punch, and it didn't hurt Ryan.
But it sent him completely off bal
ance, and Ryan was on the canvas
blinkn up in amazement. A howl of
glee went up from the First Battalion.
Ryan flushed and leaped to his feet
with red fury in his eyes,
Pete met Ryan's bull rush in the
center of the ring. Vaguely he was
aware of the frenzied roar of the
crowd. He tasted the sickish sweet
thickness of blood in his mouth. He
dug his toes into the canvas and drove
forward into a barrage of leather. He
was throwing leather himself. AS saw
agely Ryan was returning the punish
ment Toe to toe they fought in
PRINT ave fury, and each knew that
the first to give ground was lost. One
or the other would not hear the gong
at the end of the round. Thunder
doomed in Pete's head as Ryan's fists
hammer him. 1t was getting hard to
breathe and his arms were getting
heavy Still Ryan was there in front
of him. driving in at him with all he
had.
"A HELPLESS rage filled Pete. Was
Ryan going to stand up there forever?
1t seemed as though his blows were
landing on Ryan with the lightness of
snowf1akes and doing as little damage.
while Ryan's fists exploded in his face
with ever increasing power. 1t was
like nightmare in which everything
he did was hopelessly Intellectual. Pete
felt himself stumble. Ryan's sodden
glove smashed full in Pete's face. The
other plowed heavily into Pete's mid
section. He sagged, fought off the
blackness that was creeping in around
the edge of his consciousness, and
charged furiously at Ryan.
Aleft and right A left and right.
Short pistonlike blows. He kept them
going Felt their impact on flesh as he
walked into that storm of wet. bloody
leather that bludgeoned his head and
body He couldn't see out of one eye
any more Out of the other he saw
things through a pinkish blur. Dizzi-
ness swept through him. Streaks of
light flashed through his brain. From
a great, great distance he could hear
the crowd.
Suddenly Ryan seemed to elude
him. Pete spun YEARLY, rubbed the
blood from his eye. looking around
for Barney. He felt his knees buckle
and he gulped great. gasping mouth
fuls of air. His arms dropped to his
sides and he knew that he was not
going to be able to lift them again. He
had thrown his last punch. Dazed, he
looked around while he waited for
Ryan to land the finishing punch.
Then, through the hysterical tumult
from the stands, Pete heard Quinn.
Get to a neutral corner, you fat
head Neutral corner"
That was when Pete saw Barney
Ryan on the canvas, fiat on his back
and rnotionless. The referee was star
ing at Pete, waiting for him to retire
to neutral corner before beginning
the count.
Hours later he was sitting in small
roadster in the post parking lot. He
was swimming in a hundred memories.
1t had seemed as though the entire
regiment must have crowded into the
little dressing room in the gymnasium.
The colonel had dropped in and con-
graduated him. Others had crowded
around and had been none too gentle
in their slaps on his back. But there
had been no doubling the sincerity of
their friendship. Nothing like that had
ever happened to him before. He had
felt himself enveloped in it.
Then Barney Ryan, battered and
bruised, had come in. Pete remem-
bered the way Barney had grinned
with his swollen lips as he had stuck
out his hand: Soldier, you certainly
can take it and dish it out. Somehow