“WELCOME THE TRAVELLER"

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 September 1939, Page 10

“WELCOME THE TRAVELLER"

PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT. COPYRIGHT.

By

ARTHUR HARDY.

CHAPTER X. (Continued). Robert went out to tile telephone. Daniel’s voice came to him throbbing with excitement. “Glad I found you. Bob. I was hoping to find you in. I'm coming up now. In the car. Mark Blissard phoned me. and I have had a word with Gardner. It’s important.” “What do they want, Daniel?” “Wait until I tell you.” Within five minutes Daniel and Dan. in the car, were at the farm.

“It’s this way, Bob,” explained Daniel “Billy Rayner was to box ten rounds with Alf Slavin, but he strained a thigh muscle and can hardly walk, in addition to which he has a busted right hand. Blissard rang me up to find a substitute for Rayner and suggested Fred Thornton. He’ll pay fifty pounds for the fight. Six rounds. It's only bird seed for a big man, but it’s money and it’s a chance. I thought of you. What do you say? You're as fit as Dan. Will you fight Slavin’? Mind you. Thornton might lick him, so that it ought to be sugar for you.”

“To fight on Monday night.” Robert was thinking. “In a six rounds prelim. Over eight pounds a round. It’s easy money and it would make a start. Bob.” “All right, Daniel. I’ll do it.”

“Hurray!” Dan began to dance whilst Daniel hurried out to the telephone. “Hey! Is that you, Blissard? Well, listen. You can't have Thornton because I’ve got a better man. Fifty pounds to be the price, but you’ve got to add ten pounds for expenses.” “You want to sting me for an extra tenner? Who’s your man, Daniel?

Joe Louis?” “No,” answered Daniel, “it's Bob Berry. A nice sounding name for your programme.”

A silence of some seconds followed. Then Blissard spoke again and his voice shook a little, a cough of excitement, maybe, if a promoter ever did get excited —“All right. Fifty pounds and ten pounds extra for expenses, but if Berry don’t make a show, I warn you, Shelton, I’U wipe that extra ten pounds out.” CHAPTER XI. The first fight on the programme, a clasp between two second-rate bantamweight, was just over when Shulgrave’s party threaded their way to their scats beside the ring. “Oh!” said Nora, stopping suddenly. “That objectionable man.” “Which?” asked Thomas Shulgrave, who was walking just , behind Nora, and Prunella. “Do you mean that fellow Marlow?” “Yes.”

Peter Marlow wore a white carnation with evening clothes that would have shamed a tailor’s dummy. Sbulgrave took the chair next to him, nodded, for they had made a passing acquaintanceship. ‘‘l see.” drawled Marlow, ‘‘that we have a Tansworth local light showing in the next fight. That fellow Berry. Why doesn't he plod on with his farmin’ and leave the fortunes of the village in Dan Shelton’s hands?” A roar of cheering announced the coming of the fighters. It was repeated. Alf Slavin was the first to climb into the ring. Twelve stones twelve pounds he had weighed upon the scales at half past two that afternoon. He was tall, rangy, had the gnarled face of the typical prize fighter, with a swollen right ear and some scars on his cheeks, proof that he did not stop all his opponent’s blows with arms and gloves. He looked strong and grinned as he waved his hands to the applauding crowd. Robert Berry followed him after a few seconds’ interval and seemed to be in a hurry. Nervous Shulgrave said to himself. A knuckle jabbed him in the ribs.

“He's scared stiff," drawled Peter Marlow. “He's a stone the bigger man, but that other fellow will eat him. Bet you he doesn’t go three rounds.” Tom Shulgrave smiled indulgently. As you seem to know of course you’ll give me a shade of odds." “DI lay you two to one.”

“Done,” answered Shulgrave with an alacrity that surprised the film ' producer.

Robert had taken the stool in the corner nearest to his friends. He turmed his head, saw them, and smiled Prunella was nearly as white-faced as he. biting at her underlip and looking airaid. Iler nerves were jumping. Daniel was chafing Robert's limbs, giving him water to rinse out his mouth —aijd talking again. “They re nearly ready. Remember Tom Shelton and the way he stopped the Nonpareil. This is your first fight that matters. Bob. bul it looks good Mime.’'

“Seconds out—Time." A bell rang loudly.

Robert sprang from his stool as his seconds swung it away and dropped to the floor and moved to meet his opponent. The glare of the arcs above his head blinded him. Slavin was a big man. tall and wide of shoulder. They broke and got away, then Slavin came in hilling low.

Robert's feet were like lead. He was Elow. Stupid. If only the atmosphere would clear and let him see his man. A flying glove caught him on fhe chin and a white flash seared his brain. What was the matter with him? If only the crowd would stop shouting. Suddenly he saw Daniel crouching below the ring, with his chin resting almost on the floor. Daniel was making signs to him to push Slavin away. Th. Robert did. and at that moment the film of smoke seemed to roll away. Slavin took definite shape in his pro-,' per proportions, not a giant, but an I ordinary big man. And with a jab' and a jab. one. two. as Slavin came in grinning, Robert stopped him short.

The next moment Robert was crowding Slavin on the ropes and just as he was preparing to deal out mischief, the bell rang and the round was over. Robert dropped on to his stool and grinned stupidly at Daniel. Shelton grinned back. The boxer’s eyes were not filmed over now. Daniel nodded brightly. “Beginning to like it?” “I haven’t begun yet, Daniel,” answered Robert as he spread his arms wide and filled his lungs with air driven by flapping towels. Then he was up on his feet and fighting.

The left was going nicely now. Robert could see the target he had to hit. Derisive cheers were changed into a roar of surprise. Robert did not Crowd Slavin on the ropes this time, but stepped back to lot him get away and as they circled to the middle of the floor he stung him again with the left and whammed home the most dangerous punch in the catalogue, a,straight right cross, putting into it the power of the shoulder and the right side of the body. He timed it as if reaching out to grasp a vase, closed the glove at impact and Slavin went down as if poleaxed. He lay in a crumpled heap without a chance of getting up on time. He did not get up at all. His seconds picked him up and carried him to his corner and he was still there drooping on his stool when Robert was stripping in the dressing room. "A round and a half,” said Shut-

grave, turned to Peter Marlow. “That’s more than one hundred pounds a round—for me. Ah, thank you.’’ He

pocketed the bank notes with a smile, turned and glanced at Prunella. Her hands were clasped, she was staring at the .empty ring unbelievingly, happily, and she was smiling. Robert had scarcely time to don his ordinary clothes before,he was wanted to go out to help Dan Shelton. His fight had left him satisfied, almost elated. The exercise had warmed him, the rubbing of his seconds had added to his well-being. On returning to the dressing-room he had found Dan ready for his fight, with Richards, sitting on a ledge and swinging his feet' to and fro. Dan looked a little pale and tense, but he smiled, leaping down and folding Bob in strong arms. “I knew you’d do it, Bob,” said he. “It’s a fine example for me.” Daniel led the way to the ring, and the big crowd gave them a thunderous welcome.

The ring was thronged by past and present champions ready to challenge the world, and the M.C. was introducing with hoarse, raucous voice a big, broad-shouldered fellow who wore a loud-striped suit. “Ladies and gen-tle-men, allow me to interduce the famous heavy-weight and challenger of Ben Brannock for the heavy-weight championship, of the world —Mike. Me —Ginty ” Dan and his attendants climbed up the steps, ducked under the ropes and entered the ring amidst a frantic roar of applause. McGinty, swinging his hat, stepped up to the rope, holding up a hand for a hearing.

“I was to have fought Ben Brannock for the title last February,” he barked in a high-pitched voice, "but he strain-

ed a muscle, another way of saying he had cold feet, and the fight was called off. Now I am here tonight to challenge any man in England,” he waited for the applause to die, "and that does for Jack Richards or Dan Shelton, if he wins this fight. He turned, grinned at Dan, then dropped down to the floor. His swagger was prodigious and the gesture he threw at Dan almost insulting. But Dan had the fight to think about and sat quietly on his stool, waiting while his hands were being bandaged under the supervision of Richards’s manager.

At last he was called up to meet Richards, they shook hands, listened to the referee and went back to their A minute later the fight began.

It was Robert's first experience of seconding a boxer in a big fight. Clad in flannels and a sweater he worked with Daniel and the others to keep Dan in good shape throughout the fight.

Jack Richards was a tricky customRobert saw, early on. Dan was always on top and striking his blows with a snap that piled on the points as round followed round. In the sixth round Dan nearly put Richards down and took a clear lead, but Dan could not keep out of the clinches, and his opponent had an awkward way of stepping inside the blows, of holding and wrestling so that the referee was repeatedly forced to break the men and caution Richards.

The contest went the limit. Richards had been badly outpointed, but ho was on his feet arid strong when the finish came. The referee stepped up to Dan as - the final bell crashed out and even as the brazen note was echoing he seized Dan’s right arm and held it up. Dan had won almost every round and was the new heavyweight champion. “Shelton is the winner." The applause was deafening and mixed with boos for Richards. Dan Shelton was the new heavyweight of England and champion of the British Empire. It was time to go home.

In a corner of the restaurant of the Carlton Palace Hotel the Tansworth party partook of supper. Daniel Shelton, Dan and the professional boxers sat at a table set apart, but Robert was seated between Adam Lawley and Prunella at the larger table. It was one o’clock before John Robert Ecrry started for Wood Farm. He wanted to bo there before another

day’s work on the farm began. Joe

Capstow and Mrs Capstow did not slay for the supper because they were ner-

vous about night driving and wished to take their time. Jessie Capstow,! lovely and radiant, rejoicing in the success of Dan and Robert, made up for the loss. Tom Shulgrave left the hotel at halfpast one. He gave Robert a hearty shake of the hand. “You were grand, Bob. I suppose you'll go on with your boxing now. ' And if you want a backer. I'll support j you to the limit." He tarried for a j minute to get a last word with Nora. ; "Jessie tells me you are going to stay s at her flat." said lie. “That means I'll < be seeing you." 1 Nora's eyes had a new bright, light 1 in them. “I think I shall stay with Jess,” she answered. “The whole world seems to , have changed tonight. I can hardly believe I belong to the farm any long- s er. Even Dad was restless. And Bob c —he is different, he has changed, all I in a single night. He says he is going 1 to lot Daniel train him." “Does Bob intend to quit the farm?" C

“Oh. no. He won't do that. He.will carry on and help as long as he can. But he wants to make money.” Nora frowned. “I hope tonight won’t spoil him.” (To be Continued.!