ken," he groaned. "His right hand is gone." And after what seemed
hours Old Jerry realized that Morehouse was cursing hoarsely.

In Conway's corner the activity was doubly feverish. The Red lay
sprawled back against the ropes while they kneaded knotty legs, and
shoulders. There was blood on his chin, his lips were cut and
misshapen, but he had weathered that round without serious damage.
Watching him Old Jerry saw that he was smiling--snarling confidently.

Back in Denny's corner they were still working over him, but the whole
house had sensed the dismay in that little knot of men. Hogarty,
gnawing his lip, stopped and whispered once to the boy on the stool,
but Young Denny shook his head and held out his hand. He laced the
gloves back on them, over the purple, puffy knuckles.

And then again that cataclysmic bell.

Just as the first round had started, that second one opened with a
rush, but this time it was Conway who forced the fighting. Like some
gigantic projectile he drove in and caught Denny in his own corner,
and beat him back against the standard. Again that thudding right and
left, right and left, into the stomach. And again Old Jerry saw that
left hand flash out--and miss.

Just as The Pilgrim had driven him Conway forced Denny around the
ring, except that the boy was heart-breaking slow in getting away. The
Red stayed with him, beat him back and back, smothered him! With that
deadly right no longer hunting for his jaw, he fought with nothing to
fear, for Young Denny could not find his face even once with that
flashing left swing.

Before the round was half over The Pilgrim had gone down twice--body
blows that did little harm; but they were shouting for The
Red--shouting as if from a great distance, from the balconies.

Again Conway drove him into a corner of the ropes, feinted for the
stomach. Then there came that first blow that found his chin. Old
Jerry saw Denny's body go limp as he crashed his length upon the
padded canvas; he saw him try to rise and heard the house screaming
for him to take the count.

He rested there for a precious instant, swaying on one knee. But his
eyes were still glazed when he rose, and again Conway, rushing, beat
down that guarding right, and, swinging with all his shoulder weight
behind it, found that same spot and dropped him again.

Pandemonium broke loose in the upper reaches of the seats, but the
silence of the body of the house was deathlike as he lay without
sti