TALES AND FANCIES

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 158, 24 September 1927, Page 12

TALES AND FANCIES

FROM THE PEN —'OF—FRITZ HOLLAND

Coi'priffht.—THE SUN Feature Service

EUREKA !

McGrath was an enterprising manager, a man of daring and revolutionary ideas. The modern fighters he held in contempt. “Pillow-pushers,” “lovetappers,” and various other, and less complimentary names, he called them. Could he but find his ideal, he would revolutionise the fight-game. He wanted a he-man, a man of blood and iron, one disregardful of Queensberry science, sporting niceties, and ringethics. He was tempted to explore the hack-country and the great open spaces, in quest of his paragon. McGrath wanted a rending, tearing, bruising, battering, unstoppable Juggernaut of a creature, who, with flying fists, would flail bis way through all opposition. And by Jove, he found It! Scanning the telegraphic dispatches in a newspaper, Mac read, with increasing interest, of a bearded giant who had wrecked a pub, mauled three barmen, and overturned a. steel safe, and had finished up by licking half of the police force in Butte, Montana. Pie had finally been overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers, and trussed up like a fowl, had been carted to the police-station, roaring defiance to the whole world. There was the man! On the north-bound train, that night, was McGrath. He was bound for Butte, Montana; his pocket full of bail-money. If the Magistrate would let the fellow ofT with a fine, all was set. * Arriving in Butte, McGrath headed for the police station. Could he interview the prisoner? Yes. if he dared. McGrath dared, he being a determined man. They let McGrath into the cellhouse, where his reception was more strenuous than cordial. The giant roared curses, challenges, and contumely at all and sundry, and at McGrath especially. McGrath swears that the prisoner twisted the steel bars like hair-pins in his efforts to get at him. Finding that the person could not escape, McGrath bravely asked the gaolers to retire, that he might inter, view the hostile one alone. When the gaolers withdrew, the furious prisoner subsided rather and demanded to know McGrath’s blankety-blank business there. Quickly McGrath outlined his proposal and displayed the tempting baft of fame and fortune. Useless! The mad warrior did not aspire to either. But when fighting was mentioned his eyes glittered, his breast heaved and his mouth watered. Where? Whom? How soon? How many? This was too good to be true! McGrath’s dream was realised. They let the fellow off with a fine, which McGrath paid gladly. The provision was that McGrath must take him out of town at once. The giant, with many threats and defiance, finally consented to go. McGrath steered him to the railway station. The cave-man was childishly delighted. He had never ridden on a train In his life, and was happily looking forward to the experience. Then another difficulty was encountered. McGrath’s protege became impatient. Now that he was aboard, why didn’t the train start? He’d give McGrath five minutes. If the train had not started then he’d take McGrath apart and see what was the delay. The train started before the time had expired and McGrath sank into his seat with a sigh of relief. His relief was premature. His troubles had only just begun. His charge was bored by inactivity. He wanted to change to another seat. McGrath pointed out to him that the car was full. That argument was without weight. Beaching across the aisle, the wild one seized the occupant of that seat, a white-haired old man, by the scruff of the neck, and deposited him in the aisle. Having made a vacancy, he availed himself of it. McGrath looked on with bulging eyes. He realised that he had started something.

Wanting atr, the back-woodsman, knowing naught of window-fastenings andi such fol-de-rols, stuck his fist through the pane. The conductor protested, ard waa threatened with eviction, via the broken window. Mac caught his eye and tapped his forehead significantly. The conductor nodded and passed on, after McGrath had paid for the glass. By the iine the pair arrived a Frisco McGrath was a nervous wreck, and his bills for damages had mounted to three figures. At the terminal station, another obstacle presented itself. The protege refused to quit the train. At la3t, however, McGrath, by promising him a ride in a motor-car induced him to leave. Not daring to take his "find" to a hotel, McGrath told the cabman to drive straight out to the trainingquarters. When they arrived there, the enchanted passenger demanded that the ride be continued. The driver pleaded another engagement. Forthwith the irate passenger descended, and overturned the cab. McGrath was again mulcted for wreckage. A week of this behaviour tested McGrath’s patience to the limit. He was glad when the night of the fight arrived. His charge’s joy also, was boundless. "Steamboat” Jones was the enemy. McGrath had schooled his i>upil to the best of his ability, but as the hour of conflict approached the disciple became unmanageable. McGrath took him to the ringside to watch the preliminaries. The lout’s rude and boisterous partisanship was outrageous, and by the time his own bout was due, he had alienated very supporter he might have had. "Steamboat" foolishly entered the ring first. McGrath’s fighter, bristling with rage, leaped on to the platform. Awaiting neither introductions nor gong, he fell upon the luckless “Steamboat” and half-strangled him before he could be restrained. The fight began and was soon over. “Steamboat,” still faint from his choking, was easily overwhelmed. A smite on the skull stretched him senseless. The referee, in trying to prevent his further injury, was sent spinning across the ring. Eventually order was restored. McGrath's “white-hope” had “made good.” But Mao’s previous woes were comparatively negligible, for when the time came to subtract his commission from the purse, the irate battler refused to allow any deductions, either for management services or for expenses!