the efficiency expert-第13节

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〃We　seen　that　little　mix…up　in　there；〃　said　one　of　them。　　〃You　handle　your　mitts　like　you　been　there　before。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Jimmy；　smiling；　〃I've　had　a　little　experience　in　the　manly　art　of　self…defense。〃

The　two　men　were　sizing　him　up。

〃Feinheimer　can　you？〃　asked　one　of　them。　　Jimmy　nodded　affirmatively。　　〃Got　anything　else　in　view？〃

〃No；〃　said　Jimmy。

〃How'd　you　like　a　job　as　one　of　Brophy's　sparring　partners？〃

〃I　wouldn't　mind；〃　said　Jimmy。　　〃What　is　there　in　it？〃

They　named　a　figure　that　was　entirely　satisfactory　to　Jimmy。

〃Come　over　the　day　after　Christmas；〃　he　was　told；　〃and　we'll　give　you　a　trial。〃

〃I　wonder；〃　thought　Jimmy　as　he　started　for　home；　〃if　I　have　gone　up　a　notch　in　the　social　scale　or　down　a　notch？　From　the　view…point　of　the　underworld　a　pug　occupies　a　more　exalted　position　than　a　waiter；　but　oh；　well；　a　job's　a　job；　and　at　least　I　won't　have　to　look　at　that　greasy　Feinheimer　all　day。〃

At　ten　o'clock　Monday　Jimmy　was　at　Young　Brophy's　training　quarters；　for；　although　he　had　not　forgotten　Harriet　Holden's　invitation；　he　had　never　seriously　considered　availing　himself　of　her　offer　to　help　him　to　a　better　position。　While　he　had　not　found　it　difficult　to　accept　the　rough　friendship　and　assistance　of　the　Lizard；　the　idea　of　becoming　an　object　of　〃charity；〃　as　he　considered　it；　at　the　hands　of　a　girl　in　the　same　walk　of　life　as　that　to　which　he　belonged　was　intolerable。

Young　Brophy's　manager；　whom　Jimmy　discovered　to　be　one　of　the　men　who　had　accosted　him　in　Feinheimer's　after　his　trouble　with　Murray；　took　him　into　a　private　office　and　talked　with　him　confidentially　for　a　half…hour　before　he　was　definitely　employed。

It　seemed　that　one　of　the　principal　requisites　of　the　position　was　a　willingness　to　take　punishment　without　attempting　to　inflict　too　much　upon　Young　Brophy。　The　manager　did　not　go　into　specific　details　as　to　the　reason　for　this　restriction；　and　Jimmy；　badly　in　need　of　a　job；　felt　no　particular　inclination　to　search　too　deeply　for　the　root　of　the　matter。

〃What　I　don't　know；〃　he　soliloquized；　〃won't　hurt　me　any。〃　But　he　had　not　been　there　many　days　before　the　piecing　together　of　chance　remarks　and　the　gossip　of　the　hangers…on　and　other　sparring　partners　made　it　very　apparent　why　Brophy　should　not　be　badly　man…handled。　As　it　finally　revealed　itself　to　Jimmy　it　was　very　simple　indeed。　Brophy　was　to　be　pitted　against　a　man　whom　he　had　already　out…pointed　in　a　former　bout。　He　was　the　ruling　favorite　in　the　betting；　and　it　was　the　intention　to　keep　him　so　while　he　and　his　backers　quietly　placed　all　their　money　on　the　other　man。

One　of　the　sparring　partners　who　seemed　to　harbor　a　petty　grudge　against　Brophy　finally　explained　the　whole　plan　to　Jimmy。　Everything　was　to　be　done　to　carry　the　impression　to　the　public　through　the　newspapers；　who　were　usually　well　represented　at　the　training　quarters；　that　Brophy　was　in　the　pink　of　condition；　that　he　was　training　hard；　that　it　was　impossible　to　find　men　who　could　stand　up　to　him　on　account　of　the　terrific　punishment　he　inflicted　upon　his　sparring　partners；　and　that　the　result　of　the　fight　was　already　a　foregone　conclusion；　and　then　in　the　third　round　Young　Brophy　was　to　lie　down　and　by　reclining　peacefully　on　his　stomach　for　ten　seconds　make　more　money　than　several　years　of　hard　and　conscientious　work　earnestly　performed　could　ever　net　him。

It　was　all　very；　very　simple；　but　how　easily　public　opinion　might　be　changed　should　one　of　the　sparring　partners　really　make　a　good　stand　against　Brophy　in　the　presence　of　members　of　the　newspaper　fraternity！

〃I　see；　〃said　Jimmy；　running　his　fingers　through　his　hair。　　〃Oh；　well；　it's　none　of　my　business；　and　if　the　suckers　want　to　bet　their　money　on　a　prize…fight　they're　about　due　to　lose　it　anyway。〃

And　so　he　continued　permitting　himself　to　be　battered　up　four　or　five　times　a　week　at　the　hands　of　the　pussy　Mr。　Brophy。　He　paid　back　the　twenty　the　Lizard　had　loaned　him；　got　his　watch　out　of　pawn；　and　was　even　figuring　on　a　new　suit　of　clothes。　Never　before　in　his　life　had　Jimmy　realized　what　it　meant　to　be　prosperous；　since　for　obvious　reasons　Young　Brophy's　manager　was　extremely　liberal　in　the　matter　of　salaries　with　all　those　connected　with　the　training…camp。

At　first　it　had　been　rather　humiliating　to　Jimmy　to　take　the　drubbings　he　did　at　the　hands　of　Young　Brophy　in　the　presence　of　the　audience　which　usually　filled　the　small　gymnasium　where　the　fighter　was　training。　It　was　nearly　always　about　the　same　crowd；　however；　made　up　of　dyed…in…the…wool　fans；　a　few　newspaper　men；　and　a　sprinkling　of　thrill…seekers　from　other　walks　of　life　far　removed　from　the　prize…ring。　Jimmy　often　noticed　women　among　the　spectatorswell…dressed　women；　with　every　appearance　of　refinement；　and　there　were　always　men　of　the　same　upper　class　of　society。

He　mentioned　the　fact　once　to　the　same　young　man　who　had　previously　explained　the　plan　under　which　the　fight　was　to　be　faked。

〃That's　just　part　of　the　graft；〃　said　his　informant。　　〃These　birds　have　got　next　to　a　bunch　of　would…be　sports　with　more　money　than　brains　through　the　athletic　director　of〃　he　mentioned　the　name　of　one　of　the　big　athletic　clubs〃and　they　been　inviting　'em　here　to　watch　Brophy　training。　Every　one　of　the　simps　will　be　tryin'　to　get　money　down　on　Brophy；　and　this　bunch　will　take　it　all　up　as　fast　as　they　come。

〃The　bettin'　hasn't　really　started　yet；　in　fact；　they　are　holding　off　themselves　until　the　odds　are　better。　If　Brophy　goes　into　the　ring　a　three…to…one　favorite　these　fellows　will　make　a　killing　that　will　be　talked　of　for　the　next　twenty　years。〃　〃And　incidentally　give　boxing　another　black　eye；〃　interjected　Jimmy。

〃Oh；　what　the　hell　do　we　care？〃　said　the　other。　〃I'm　goin'　to　make　mine　out　of　it；　and　you　better　do　the　same。　I'm　goin'　to　put　up　every　cent　I　can　borrow　or　steal　on　the　other　guy。〃

It　was　Saturday；　the　15th　of　January；　just　a　week　before　the　fight；　that　Jimmy；　trained　now　almost　to　perfection；　stepped　into　the　ring　to　take　his　usual　mauling。　For　some　time　past　there　had　been　insidiously　working　its　way　into　his　mind　a　vast　contempt　for　the　pugilistic　prowess　of　Young　Brophy。

〃If；〃　thought　Jimmy；〃　this　bird　is　of　championship　caliber；　I　might　be　a　champion　myself。〃　For；　though　Young　Brophy　was　not　a　champion；　the　newspapers　had　been　pointing　to　him　for　time　as　a　likely　possibility　for　these　pugilistic　honors　later。

As　this　mental　attitude　grew　within　him　and　took　hold　of　Jimmy　it　more　and　more　irked　him　to　take　the　punishment　which　he　inwardly　felt　he　could　easily　inflict　upon　Brophy　instead；　but；　as　Jimmy　had　learned　through　lean　and　hungry　months；　a　job　is　a　job；　and　no　job　is　to　be　sneezed　at　or　lightly　thrown　aside。

There　was　quite　a　gathering　that　afternoon　to　watch　Young　Brophy's　work…out；　and　rather　a　larger　representation　than　usual　from　society's　younger　set。　The　program；　which　had　consisted　in　part　of　shadow　boxing　and　bag　punching　by　Young　Brophy；　was　to　terminate　with　three　rounds　with　Jimmy。

For　two　rounds　the　young　man　had　permitted　Brophy　to　make　a　monkey　of　him；　hitting　him　where　he　would　at　will；　while　Jimmy；　as　a　result　of　several　weeks　of　diligent　practice；　was　able　to　put　up　apparently　a　very　ferocious　attempt　to　annihilate　his　opponent　without　doing　the　latter　any　material　damage。

At　the　close　of　the　second　round　Brophy　landed　a　particularly　vicious　right；　which　dropped　Jimmy　to　the　canvas。　The　crowd　applauded　vociferously；　and　as　the　gong　sounded　as　Jimmy　was　slowly　rising　to　his　feet　they　were　all　assured　that　it　was　all　that　had　saved　the　young　man　from　an　even　worse　thrashing。

As　Jimmy　returned　to　his　corner　there　arose　within　him　a　determination　to　thrash　Young　Brophy　within　an　inch　of　his　life　after　the　big　fight　was　out　of　the　way　and　Jimmy　no　longer　bound　by　any　obligations；　for　he　realized　that　for　some　reason　Brophy　had　just　gone　a　little　too　far　with　his　rough　tactics；　there　having　been　in　the　arrangement　with　the　sparring　partners　an　understanding　that　when　a　knock…down　was　to　be　staged　Brophy　was　to　give　his　opponent　the　cue。　No　cue　had　been　given；　however。　Jimmy　had　not　been　expecting　it；　and　he　had　been　floored　with　a　punch　behind　which　were　all　the　weight　and　brawn　of　the　pugilist。

He　had　long　since　ceased　to　consider　what　the　spectators　might　think。　　So　far　as　Jimmy　was　concerned；　they　might　have　been　so　many　chairs。　He　was　merely　angry　at　the　unnecessary　punishment　that　had　been　inflicted。　As　he　sprawled　in　his　corner　he　let　his　eyes　run　over　the　faces　of　the　spectators　directly　in　front　of　him；　to　whom　previously　be　had　paid　no　particular　attention；　and　even　now　it　was　scarcely　more　than　an　involuntary　glance；　but　his　eyes　stopped　suddenly　upon　a　face；　and　as　recognition　suddenly　dawned　upon　him　he　could　feel　the　hot　blood　rushing　to　his　own。　For　there　was　the　girl　whom　Fate　had　thrice　before　thrown　in　his　path！　Beside　her　he　recognized　the　Miss　Harriet　Holden　who　had　been　with　her　the　night　at　Feinheimer's；　and　with　them　were　two　young　men。

Something　within　Jimmy　Torrance　rebelled　to　a　point　where　it　utterly　dominated　himrebelled　at　the　thought　that　this　girl；　whom　be　had　unconsciously　set　upon　a　pedestal　to　worship　from　afar；　should　always　find　him　in　so