Cinder Path Tales

196 CINDER-PATH TALES uppercut him when he made a bull rush,so that his head lifted as if on a hinge. He hooked him with right and left, and played the " devil's tattoo " all over his body, end­ ing witha rib-roaster thatmade even Paddy sigh. In short, when Patrick O'Malley, our " Knight ofthe Rake and Roller," took his seat at the end of the first round his smile was gone, and he looked like a man in a trance. Johnson had hit hard enough to have put most men to sleep, but on Paddy's tough anatomy had made no serious impression, after all. Pat's right eye was in a fairway to close, andhis face looked puffy and his neck sore, buthe was as strong as ever, and his courage asgood, thoughhe probably would have beenwilling to admit that overthe pic­ nic aspect ofthe occasion there hadcome a cloud. Harry andJim got at work at him with sponge and towel the minute he took his seat. A very artistic exhibition they gave, and no doubt Jim's advice which he whispered was very good, butthere wasnothing before Paddy but a " knockout" unless the unex­ pected happened. Johnson was without a mark, and I question whether hehad been hit at all. He tookhis drink, smiled up at his handlers as they worked the cool sponge over his hot chest