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Billy knew that he was afraid--he thought that he was afraid of the big, trained fighter who faced hiht that had gripped his h to defeat Billy's every chance for victory, and after the big "white hope" had felled Billy twice in the first minute of the first round Cassidy knew that it was all over but the shouting
The fans, atory re stiff!" and "Back to de farh above the others a shrill voice cried "Coward! Coward!"
The word penetrated Billy's hopeless, muddled brain Coward! SHE had called hied her ht him a coward, yet as he died he had said that he was the bravestsamurai with their keen swords and terrible spears He saw the little rooain he faced the brown devils who had hacked and hewed and stabbed at hiht to save the wo for a man to fear who had faced death as Billy had faced it, and without an instant's consciousness of thewith him, and then the shouts and curses and taunts of the crowd sain the heavy fist of the "coht Billy to the ong saved him
It was a surprised and chastened mucker that walked with bent head to his corner after the first round The "white hope" was grinning and confident, and so he returned to the center of the ring for the second round During the short interval Billy had thrashed the whole thing out The crowd had gotten on his nerves He was trying to fight the whole crowd instead of just onethat happened after he faced his opponent sent the fans into delirious ecstasies of shouting and hooting
Billy swung his right for his foe's jaw--a terrible blow that would have ended the fight had it landed--but the man side-stepped it, and Billy's ained his feet the "white hope" aiting for hiain to lie there, quite still, while the hand of the referee marked the seconds: One Two Three Four Five Six Billy opened his eyes Seven Billy sat up Eight Theof that monotonous count finally percolated to thecounted out! Nine! Like a flash he was on his feet He had forgotten the crowd Rage--cool, calculating rage possessed him--not the feverish, hysterical variety that takes its victim's brains away