the game-第9节

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with　every　breath　than　her　breast　rose　and　fell　after　she　had　run

for　a　car。　　The　pungency　of　ammonia　bit　her　nostrils；　wafted　to　her

from　the　soaked　sponge　wherefrom　he　breathed　the　fiery　fumes　that

cleared　his　brain。　　He　gargled　his　mouth　and　throat；　took　a　suck　at

a　divided　lemon；　and　all　the　while　the　towels　worked　like　mad；

driving　oxygen　into　his　lungs　to　purge　the　pounding　blood　and　send

it　back　revivified　for　the　struggle　yet　to　come。　　His　heated　body

was　sponged　with　water；　doused　with　it；　and　bottles　were　turned

mouth…downward　on　his　head。







CHAPTER　VI







The　gong　for　the　sixth　round　struck；　and　both　men　advanced　to　meet

each　other；　their　bodies　glistening　with　water。　　Ponta　rushed　two…

thirds　of　the　way　across　the　ring；　so　intent　was　he　on　getting　at

his　man　before　full　recovery　could　be　effected。　　But　Joe　had　lived

through。　　He　was　strong　again；　and　getting　stronger。　　He　blocked

several　vicious　blows　and　then　smashed　back；　sending　Ponta　reeling。

He　attempted　to　follow　up；　but　wisely　forbore　and　contented　himself

with　blocking　and　covering　up　in　the　whirlwind　his　blow　had　raised。



The　fight　was　as　it　had　been　at　the　beginningJoe　protecting；　Ponta

rushing。　　But　Ponta　was　never　at　ease。　　He　did　not　have　it　all　his

own　way。　　At　any　moment；　in　his　fiercest　onslaughts；　his　opponent

was　liable　to　lash　out　and　reach　him。　　Joe　saved　his　strength。　　He

struck　one　blow　to　Ponta's　ten；　but　his　one　blow　rarely　missed。

Ponta　overwhelmed　him　in　the　attacks；　yet　could　do　nothing　with　him；

while　Joe's　tiger…like　strokes；　always　imminent；　compelled　respect。

They　toned　Ponta's　ferocity。　　He　was　no　longer　able　to　go　in　with

the　complete　abandon　of　destructiveness　which　had　marked　his　earlier

efforts。



But　a　change　was　coming　over　the　fight。　　The　audience　was　quick　to

note　it；　and　even　Genevieve　saw　it　by　the　beginning　of　the　ninth

round。　　Joe　was　taking　the　offensive。　　In　the　clinches　it　was　he　who

brought　his　fist　down　on　the　small　of　the　back；　striking　the

terrible　kidney　blow。　　He　did　it　once；　in　each　clinch；　but　with　all

his　strength；　and　he　did　it　every　clinch。　　Then；　in　the　breakaways；

he　began　to　upper…cut　Ponta　on　the　stomach；　or　to　hook　his　jaw　or

strike　straight　out　upon　the　mouth。　　But　at　first　sign　of　a　coming

of　a　whirlwind；　Joe　would　dance　nimbly　away　and　cover　up。



Two　rounds　of　this　went　by；　and　three；　but　Ponta's　strength；　though

perceptibly　less；　did　not　diminish　rapidly。　　Joe's　task　was　to　wear

down　that　strength；　not　with　one　blow；　nor　ten；　but　with　blow　after

blow；　without　end；　until　that　enormous　strength　should　be　beaten

sheer　out　of　its　body。　　There　was　no　rest　for　the　man。　　Joe　followed

him　up；　step　by　step；　his　advancing　left　foot　making　an　audible　tap；

tap；　tap；　on　the　hard　canvas。　　Then　there　would　come　a　sudden　leap

in；　tiger…like；　a　blow　struck；　or　blows；　and　a　swift　leap　back；

whereupon　the　left　foot　would　take　up　again　its　tapping　advance。

When　Ponta　made　his　savage　rushes；　Joe　carefully　covered　up；　only　to

emerge；　his　left　foot　going　tap；　tap；　tap；　as　he　immediately

followed　up。



Ponta　was　slowly　weakening。　　To　the　crowd　the　end　was　a　foregone

conclusion。



〃Oh；　you；　Joe！〃　it　yelled　its　admiration　and　affection。



〃It's　a　shame　to　take　the　money！〃　it　mocked。　　〃Why　don't　you　eat　'm；

Ponta？　　Go　on　in　an'　eat　'm！〃



In　the　one…minute　intermissions　Ponta's　seconds　worked　over　him　as

they　had　not　worked　before。　　Their　calm　trust　in　his　tremendous

vitality　had　been　betrayed。　　Genevieve　watched　their　excited

efforts；　while　she　listened　to　the　white…faced　second　cautioning

Joe。



〃Take　your　time；〃　he　was　saying。　　〃You've　got　'm；　but　you　got　to

take　your　time。　　I've　seen　'm　fight。　　He's　got　a　punch　to　the　end　of

the　count。　　I've　seen　'm　knocked　out　and　clean　batty；　an'　go　on

punching　just　the　same。　　Mickey　Sullivan　had　'm　goin'。　　Puts　'm　to

the　mat　as　fast　as　he　crawls　up；　six　times；　an'　then　leaves　an

opening。　　Ponta　reaches　for　his　jaw；　an　two　minutes　afterward

Mickey's　openin'　his　eyes　an'　askin'　what's　doin'。　　So　you've　got　to

watch　'm。　　No　goin'　in　an'　absorbin'　one　of　them　lucky　punches；　now。

I　got　money　on　this　fight；　but　I　don't　call　it　mine　till　he's

counted　out。〃



Ponta　was　being　doused　with　water。　　As　the　gong　sounded；　one　of　his

seconds　inverted　a　water　bottle　on　his　head。　　He　started　toward　the

centre　of　the　ring；　and　the　second　followed　him　for　several　steps；

keeping　the　bottle　still　inverted。　　The　referee　shouted　at　him；　and

he　fled　the　ring；　dropping　the　bottle　as　he　fled。　　It　rolled　over

and　over；　the　water　gurgling　out　upon　the　canvas　till　the　referee；

with　a　quick　flirt　of　his　toe；　sent　the　bottle　rolling　through　the

ropes。



In　all　the　previous　rounds　Genevieve　had　not　seen　Joe's　fighting

face　which　had　been　prefigured　to　her　that　morning　in　the　department

store。　　Sometimes　his　face　had　been　quite　boyish；　other　times；　when

taking　his　fiercest　punishment；　it　had　been　bleak　and　gray；　and

still　later；　when　living　through　and　clutching　and　holding　on；　it

had　taken　on　a　wistful　expression。　　But　now；　out　of　danger　himself

and　as　he　forced　the　fight；　his　fighting　face　came　upon　him。　　She

saw　it　and　shuddered。　　It　removed　him　so　far　from　her。　　She　had

thought　she　knew　him；　all　of　him；　and　held　him　in　the　hollow　of　her

hand；　but　this　she　did　not　knowthis　face　of　steel；　this　mouth　of

steel；　these　eyes　of　steel　flashing　the　light　and　glitter　of　steel。

It　seemed　to　her　the　passionless　face　of　an　avenging　angel；　stamped

only　with　the　purpose　of　the　Lord。



Ponta　attempted　one　of　his　old…time　rushes；　but　was　stopped　on　the

mouth。　　Implacable；　insistent；　ever　menacing；　never　letting　him

rest；　Joe　followed　him　up。　　The　round；　the　thirteenth；　closed　with　a

rush；　in　Ponta's　corner。　　He　attempted　a　rally；　was　brought　to　his

knees；　took　the　nine　seconds'　count；　and　then　tried　to　clinch　into

safety；　only　to　receive　four　of　Joe's　terrible　stomach　punches；　so

that　with　the　gong　he　fell　back；　gasping；　into　the　arms　of　his

seconds。



Joe　ran　across　the　ring　to　his　own　corner。



〃Now　I'm　going　to　get　'm；〃　he　said　to　his　second。



〃You　sure　fixed　'm　that　time；〃　the　latter　answered。　　〃Nothin'　to

stop　you　now　but　a　lucky　punch。　　Watch　out　for　it。〃



Joe　leaned　forward；　feet　gathered　under　him　for　a　spring；　like　a

foot…racer　waiting　the　start。　　He　was　waiting　for　the　gong。　　When　it

sounded　he　shot　forward　and　across　the　ring；　catching　Ponta　in　the

midst　of　his　seconds　as　he　rose　from　his　stool。　　And　in　the　midst　of

his　seconds　he　went　down；　knocked　down　by　a　right…hand　blow。　　As　he

arose　from　the　confusion　of　buckets；　stools；　and　seconds；　Joe　put

him　down　again。　　And　yet　a　third　time　he　went　down　before　he　could

escape　from　his　own　corner。



Joe　had　at　last　become　the　whirlwind。　　Genevieve　remembered　his

〃just　watch；　you'll　know　when　I　go　after　him。〃　　The　house　knew　it；

too。　　It　was　on　its　feet；　every　voice　raised　in　a　fierce　yell。　　It

was　the　blood…cry　of　the　crowd；　and　it　sounded　to　her　like　what　she

imagined　must　be　the　howling　of　wolves。　　And　what　with　confidence　in

her　lover's　victory　she　found　room　in　her　heart　to　pity　Ponta。



In　vain　he　struggled　to　defend　himself；　to　block；　to　cover　up；　to

duck；　to　clinch　into　a　moment's　safety。　　That　moment　was　denied　him。

Knockdown　after　knockdown　was　his　portion。　　He　was　knocked　to　the

canvas　backwards；　and　sideways；　was　punched　in　the　clinches　and　in

the　break…awaysstiff；　jolty　blows　that　dazed　his　brain　and　drove

the　strength　from　his　muscles。　　He　was　knocked　into　the　corners　and

out　again；　against　the　ropes；　rebounding；　and　with　another　blow

against　the　ropes　once　more。　　He　fanned　the　air　with　his　arms；

showering　savage　blows　upon　emptiness。　　There　was　nothing　human　left

in　him。　　He　was　the　beast　incarnate；　roaring　and　raging　and　being

destroyed。　　He　was　smashed　down　to　his　knees；　but　refused　to　take

the　count；　staggering　to　his　feet　only　to　be　met　stiff…handed　on　the

mouth　and　sent　hurling　back　against　the　ropes。



In　sore　travail；　gasping；　reeling；　panting；　with　glazing　eyes　and

sobbing　breath；　grotesque　and　heroic；　fighting　to　the　last；　striving

to　get　at　his　antagonist；　he　surged　and　was　driven　about　the　ring。

And　in　that　moment　Joe's　foot　slipped　on　the　wet　canvas。　　Ponta's

swimming　eyes　saw　and　knew　the　chance。　　All　the　fleeing　strength　of

his　body　gathered　itself　together　for　the　lightning　lucky　punch。

Even　as　Joe　slipped　the　other　smote　him；　fairly　on　the　point　of　the

chin。　　He　went　over　backward。　　Genevieve　saw　his　muscles　relax　while

he　was　yet　in　the　air；　and　she　heard　the　thud　of　his　head　on　the

canvas。



The　noise　of　the　yelling　house　died　suddenly。　　The　referee；　stooping

over　the　inert　body；　was　counting　the　seconds。　　Ponta　tottered　and

fell　to　his　knees。　　He　struggled　to　his　feet；　swaying　back　and　forth

as　he　tried　to　sweep　the　audience　with　his　hatred。　　His　legs　were

trembling　and　bending