hemingway, ernest - men without women-第17节
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¨Where are you going？〃 John asked when Jack was dressed。
¨Back to the hotel；〃 Jack says。 ¨You looked after everything？〃
¨Yes；〃 John says。 ¨Itˇs all looked after。〃
¨Iˇm going to lie down for a while；〃 Jack says。
¨Iˇll come around for you about a quarter to seven and weˇll go and eat。〃
¨All right。〃
Up at the hotel Jack took off his shoes and his coat and lay down for a while。 I wrote a letter。 I looked over a couple of times and Jack wasnˇt sleeping。 He was lying perfectly still but every once in a while his eyes would open。 Finally he sits up。
¨Want to play some cribbage； Jerry？〃 he says。
¨Sure；〃 I said。
He went over to his suitcase and got out the cards and the cribbage board。 We played cribbage and he won three dollars off me。 John knocked at the door and came in。
¨Want to play some cribbage； John？〃 Jack asked him。
John put his kelly down on the table。 It was all wet。 His coat was wet too。
¨Is it raining？〃 Jack asks。
¨Itˇs pouring；〃 John says。 ¨The taxi I had got tied up in the traffic and I got out and walked。〃
¨Come on； play some cribbage；〃 Jack says。
¨You ought to go and eat。〃
¨No；〃 says Jack。 ¨I donˇt want to eat yet。〃
So they played cribbage for about half an hour and Jack won a dollar and a half off him。
¨Well； I suppose we got to go eat；〃 Jack says。 He went to the window and looked out。
¨Is it still raining？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨Letˇs eat in the hotel；〃 John says。
¨All right；〃 Jack says； ¨Iˇll play you once more to see who pays for the meal。〃
After a little while Jack gets up and says； ¨You buy the meal； John；〃 and we went downstairs and ate in the big dining…room。
After we ate we went upstairs and Jack played cribbage with John again and won two dollars and a half off him。 Jack was feeling pretty good。 John had a bag with him with all his stuff in it。 Jack took off his shirt and collar and put on a jersey and a sweater； so he wouldnˇt catch cold when he came out； and put his ring clothes and bathrobe in a bag。
¨You all ready？〃 John asks him。 ¨Iˇll call up and have them get a taxi。
Pretty soon the telephone rang and they said the taxi was waiting。
We rode down in the elevator and went out through the lobby； and got in a taxi and rode around to the Garden。 It was raining hard but there was a lot of people outside on the streets。 The Garden was sold out。 As we came in on our way to the dressing…room I saw how full it was。 It looked like half a mile down to the ring。 It was all dark。 Just the lights over the ring。
¨Itˇs a good thing； with this rain； they didnˇt try to pull this fight in the ball park；〃 John said。
¨They got a good crowd；〃 Jack says。
¨This is a fight that would draw a lot more than the Garden could hold。〃
¨You canˇt tell about the weather；〃 Jack says。
John came to the door of the dressing…room and poked his head in。 Jack was sitting there with his bathrobe on； he had his arms folded and was looking at the floor。 John had a couple of handlers with him。 They looked over his shoulder。 Jack looked up。
¨Is he in？〃 he asked。
¨Heˇs just gone down；〃 John said。
We started down。 Walcott was just getting into the ring。 The crowd gave him a big hand。 He climbed through between the ropes and put his two fists together and smiled； and shook them at the crowd； first at one side of the ring； then at the other； and then sat down。 Jack got a good hand coming down through the crowd。 Jack is Irish and the Irish always get a pretty good hand。 An Irishman donˇt draw in New York like a Jew or an Italian but they always get a good hand。 Jack climbed up and bent down to go through the ropes and Walcott came over from his corner and pushed the rope down for Jack to go through。 The crowd thought that was wonderful。 Walcott put his hand on Jackˇs shoulder and they stood there just for a second。
¨So youˇre going to be one of these popular champions；〃 Jack says to him。 ¨Take your goddam hand off my shoulder。〃
¨Be yourself；〃 Walcott says。
This is all great for the crowd。 How gentlemanly the boys are before the fight！ How they wish each other luck！
Solly Freedman came over to our corner while Jack is bandaging his hands and John is over in Walcottˇs corner。 Jack put his thumb through the slit in the bandage and then wrapped his hand nice and smooth。 I taped it around the wrist and twice across the knuckles。
¨Hey；〃 Freedman says。 ¨Where do you get all that tape？〃
¨Feel of it；〃 Jack says。 ¨Itˇs soft ainˇt it？ Donˇt be a hick。〃
Freedman stands there all the time while Jack bandages the other hand； and one of the boys thatˇs going to handle him brings the gloves and I pull them on and work them around。
¨Say； Freedman；〃 Jack asks； ¨what nationality is this Walcott？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 Solly says。 ¨Heˇs some sort of a Dane。〃
¨Heˇs a Bohemian；〃 the lad who brought the gloves said。
The referee called them out to the centre of the ring and Jack walks out。 Walcott comes out smiling。 They met and the referee put his arm on each of their shoulders。
¨Hello； popularity；〃 Jack says to Walcott。
¨Be yourself。〃
¨What do you call yourself ˉWalcottˇ for？〃 Jack says。 ¨Didnˇt you know he was a nigger？〃
¨Listen〃 says the referee； and he gives them the same old line。 Once Walcott interrupts him。 He grabs Jackˇs arm； and says； ¨Can I hit when heˇs got me like this？〃
¨Keep your hands off me；〃 Jack says。 ¨There ainˇt no moving…pictures of this。〃
They went back to their corners。 I lifted the bathrobe off Jack and he leaned on the ropes and flexed his knees a couple of times and scuffed his shoes in the rosin。 The gong rang and Jack turned quick and went out。 Walcott came toward him and they touched gloves and as soon as Walcott dropped his hands Jack jumped his left into his face twice。 There wasnˇt anybody ever boxed better than Jack。 Walcott was after him； going forward all the time with his chin on his chest。 Heˇs a hooker and he carries his hands pretty low。 All he knows is to get in there and sock。 But every time he gets in there close； Jack has the left hand in his face。 Itˇs just as though itˇs automatic。 Jack just raises the left hand up and itˇs in Walcottˇs face。 Three or four times Jack brings the right over but Walcott gets it on the shoulder or high up on the head。 Heˇs just like all these hookers。 The only thing heˇs afraid of is another one of the same kind。 Heˇs covered everywhere you can hurt him。 He donˇt care about a left hand in his face。
After about four rounds Jack has him bleeding bad and his face all cut up； but every time Walcottˇs got in close heˇs socked so hard heˇs got two big red patches on both sides just below Jackˇs ribs。 Every time he gets in close； Jack ties him up； then gets one hand loose and uppercuts him； but when Walcott gets his hands loose he socks Jack in the body so they can hear it outside in the street。 Heˇs a socker。
It goes along like that for three rounds more。 They donˇt talk any。 Theyˇre working all the time。 We worked over Jack plenty too； in between the rounds。 He donˇt look good at all but he never does much work in the ring。 He donˇt move around much and the left hand is just automatic。 Itˇs just like it was connected with Walcottˇs face and Jack just had to wish it in every time。 Jack is always calm in close and he doesnˇt waste any juice。 He knows everything about working in close too and heˇs getting away with a lot of stuff。 While they were in our corner I watched him tie Walcott up； get his right hand loose； turn it； and come up with an uppercut that got Walcottˇs nose with the heel of the glove。 Walcott was bleeding bad and leaned his nose on Jackˇs shoulder so as to give Jack some of it too； and Jack sort of lifted his shoulder sharp and caught him against the nose； and then brought down the right hand and did the same thing again。
Walcott was sore as hell。 By the time theyˇd gone five rounds he hated Jackˇs guts。 Jack wasnˇt sore； that is； he wasnˇt any sorer than he always was。 He certainly did used to make the fellows he fought hate boxing。 That was why he hated Richie Lewis so。 He never got Richieˇs goat。 Richie Lewis always had about three new dirty things Jack couldnˇt do。 Jack was as safe as a church all the time he was in there； as long as he was strong。 He certainly was treating Walcott rough。 The funny thing was it looked as though Jack was an open classic boxer。 That was because he had all that stuff too。
After the seventh round Jack says； ¨My leftˇs getting heavy。〃
From then he started to take a beating。 It didnˇt show at first。 But instead of him running the fight it was Walcott was running it； instead of being safe all the time now he was in trouble。 He couldnˇt keep him out with the left hand now。 It looked as though it was the same as ever； only now instead of Walcottˇs punches just missing him they were just hitting him。 He took an awful beating in the body。
¨Whatˇs the round？〃 Jack asked。
¨The eleventh。〃
¨I canˇt stay；〃 Jack says。 ¨My legs are going bad。〃
Walcott had been hitting him for a
