y Ward a mighty heap on top of it. You
don't know that boy. I do. I discovered him. He ain't got a goat. He's a
devil. He's a wizzy-wooz if anybody should ask you. He'll make Ward sit
up with a show of local talent that'll make the rest of you sit up. I
won't say he'll lick Ward, but he'll put up such a show that you'll all
know he's a comer."

"All right." Kelly turned to his secretary. "Ring up Ward. I warned
him to show up if I thought it worth while. He's right across at the
Yellowstone, throwin' chests and doing the popular."

Kelly turned back to the conditioner. "Have a drink?"

Roberts sipped his highball and unburdened himself.

"Never told you how I discovered the little cuss. It was a couple of
years ago he showed up out at the quarters. I was getting Prayne ready
for his fight with Delaney. Prayne's wicked. He ain't got a tickle of
mercy in his make-up. I chopped up his pardner's something cruel, and
I couldn't find a willing boy that'd work with him. I'd noticed this
little starved Mexican kid hanging around, and I was desperate. So
I grabbed him, shoved on the gloves and put him in. He was tougher'n
rawhide, but weak. And he didn't know the first letter in the alphabet
of boxing. Prayne chopped him to ribbons. But he hung on for two
sickening rounds, when he fainted. Starvation, that was all. Battered!
You couldn't have recognized him. I gave him half a dollar and a square
meal. You oughta seen him wolf it down. He hadn't had the end of a bite
for a couple of days. That's the end of him, thinks I. But next day he
showed up, stiff an' sore, ready for another half and a square meal. And
he done better as time went by. Just a born fighter, and tough beyond
belief. He hasn't a heart. He's a piece of ice. And he never talked
eleven words in a string since I know him. He saws wood and does his
work."

"I've seen 'm," the secretary said. "He's worked a lot for you."

"All the big little fellows has tried out on him," Roberts answered.
"And he's learned from 'em. I've seen some of them he could lick. But
his heart wasn't in it. I reckoned he never liked the game. He seemed to
act that way."

"He's been fighting some before the little clubs the last few months,"
Kelly said.

"Sure. But I don't know what struck 'm. All of a sudden his heart got
into it. He just went out like a streak and cleaned up all the little
local fellows. Seemed to want the money, and he's won a bit, though his
clothes don't look it.