¨I canˇt stay；〃 Jack says。 ¨My legs are going bad。〃
Walcott had been hitting him for a long time。 It was like a baseball catcher pulls the ball and takes some of the shock off。 From now on Walcott commenced to land solid。 He certainly was a socking…machine。 Jack was just trying to block everything now。 It didnˇt show what an awful beating he was taking。 In between the rounds I worked on his legs。 The muscles would flutter under my hands all the time I was rubbing them。 He was sick as hell。
¨Howˇs it go？〃 he asked John； turning around； his face all swollen。
¨Itˇs his fight。〃
¨I think I can last；〃 Jack says。 ¨I donˇt want this bohunk to stop me。
It was going just the way he thought it would。 He knew he couldnˇt beat Walcott。 He wasnˇt strong any more。 He was all right though。 His money was all right and now he wanted to finish it off right to please himself。 He didnˇt want to be knocked out。
The gong rang and we pushed him out。 He went out slow。 Walcott came right out after him。 Jack put the left in his face and Walcott took it； came in under it and started working on Jackˇs body。 Jack tried to tie him up and it was just like trying to hold on to a buzz…saw。 Jack broke away from it and missed with the right。 Walcott clipped him with a left…hook and Jack went down。 He went down on his hands and knees and looked at us。 The referee started counting。 Jack was watching us and shaking his head。 At eight John motioned to him。 You couldnˇt hear on account of the crowd。 Jack got up。 The referee had been holding Walcott back with one arm while he counted。
When Jack was on his feet Walcott started toward him。
¨Watch yourself； Jimmy；〃 I heard Solly Freedman yell to him。
Walcott came up to Jack looking at him。 Jack stuck the left hand at him。 Walcott just shook his head。 He backed Jack up against the ropes； measured him and then hooked the left very light to the side of Jackˇs head and socked the right into the body as hard as he could sock； just as low as he could get it。 He must have hit him five inches below the belt。 I thought the eyes would come out of Jackˇs head。 They stuck way out。 His mouth came open。
The referee grabbed Walcott。 Jack stepped forward。 If he went down there went fifty thousand bucks。 He walked as though all his insides were going to fall out。
¨It wasnˇt low；〃 he said。 ¨It was an accident。〃
The crowd were yelling so you couldnˇt hear anything。
¨Iˇm all right；〃 Jack says。 They were right in front of us。 The referee looks at John and then he shakes his head。
¨Come on； you polak son…of…a…bitch；〃 Jack says to Walcott。
John was hanging on to the ropes。 He had the towel ready to chuck in。 Jack was standing just a little way out from the ropes。 He took a step forward。 I saw the sweat come out on his face like somebody had squeezed it and a big drop went down his nose。
¨Come on and fight；〃 Jack says to Walcott。
The referee looked at John and waved Walcott on。
¨Go in there； you slob；〃 he says。
Walcott went in。 He didnˇt know what to do either。 He never thought Jack could have stood it。 Jack put the left in his face。 There was such a hell of a lot of yelling going on。 They were right in front of us。 Walcott hit him twice。 Jackˇs face was the worst thing I ever sawthe look on it！ He was holding himself and all his body together and it all showed on his face。 All the time he was thinking and holding his body in where it was busted。
Then he started to sock。 His face looked awful all the time。 He started to sock with his hands low down by his side； swinging at Walcott。 Walcott covered up and Jack was swinging wild at Walcottˇs head。 Then he swung the left and it hit Walcott in the groin and the right hit Walcott right bang where heˇd hit Jack。 Way low below the belt。 Walcott went down and grabbed himself there and rolled and twisted around。
The referee grabbed Jack and pushed him towards his corner。 John jumps into the ring。 There was all this yelling going on。 The referee was talking with the judges and then the announcer got into the ring with the megaphone and says； ¨Walcott on a foul。〃
The referee is talking to John and he says； ¨What could I do？ Jack wouldnˇt take the foul。 Then when heˇs groggy he fouls him。〃
¨Heˇd lost it anyway；〃 John says。
Jackˇs sitting on the chair。 Iˇve got his gloves off and heˇs holding himself in down there with both hands。 When heˇs got something supporting it his face doesnˇt look so bad。
¨Go over and say youˇre sorry；〃 John says into his ear。 ¨Itˇll look good。〃
Jack stands up and the sweat comes out all over his face。 I put the bathrobe around him and he holds himself in with one hand under the bathrobe and goes across the ring。 Theyˇve picked Walcott up and theyˇre working on him。 Thereˇre a lot of people in Walcottˇs corner。 Nobody speaks to Jack。 He leans over Walcott。
¨Iˇm sorry；〃 Jack says。 ¨I didnˇt mean to foul you。〃
Walcott doesnˇt say anything。 He looks too damned sick。
¨Well； youˇre the champion now；〃 Jack says to him。 ¨I hope you get a hell of a lot of fun out of it。〃
¨Leave the kid alone；〃 Solly Freedman says。
¨Hello； Solly；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm sorry I fouled your boy。〃
Freedman just looks at him。
Jack went to his corner walking that funny jerky way and we got him down through the ropes and through the reportersˇ tables and out down the aisle。 A lot of people want to slap Jack on the back。 He goes out through all that mob in his bathrobe to the dressing…room。 Itˇs a popular win for Walcott。 Thatˇs the way the money was bet in the Garden。
Once we got inside the dressing…room； Jack lay down and shut his eyes。
¨We want to get to the hotel and get a doctor；〃 John says。
¨Iˇm all busted inside；〃 Jack says。
¨Iˇm sorry as hell； Jack；〃 John says。
¨Itˇs all right；〃 Jack says。
He lies there with his eyes shut。
¨They certainly tried a nice double…cross；〃 John said。
¨Your friends Morgan and Steinfelt；〃 Jack said。 ¨You got nice friends。〃
He lies there； his eyes are open now。 His face has still got that awful drawn look。
¨Itˇs funny how fast you can think when it means that much money；〃 Jack says。
¨Youˇre some boy； Jack；〃 John says。
¨No；〃 Jack says。 ¨It was nothing。〃
A SIMPLE ENQUIRY
OUTSIDE； the snow was higher than the window。 The sunlight came in through the window and shone on a map on the pine…board wall of the hut。 The sun was high and the light came in over the top of the snow。 A trench had been cut along the open side of the hut； and each clear day the sun； shining on the wall； reflected heat against the snow and widened the trench。 It was late March。 The major sat at a table against the wall。 His adjutant sat at another table。
Around the majorˇs eyes were two white circles where his snow…glasses had protected his face from the sun on the snow。 The rest of his face had been burned and then tanned and then burned through the tan。 His nose was swollen and there were edges of loose skin where blisters had been。 While he worked at the papers he put the forgers of his left hand into a saucer of oil and then spread the oil over his face； touching it very gently with the tips of his fingers。 He was very careful to drain his fingers on the edge of the saucer so there was only a film of oil on them； and after he had stroked his forehead and his cheeks； he stroked his nose very delicately between his fingers。 When he had finished he stood up； took the saucer of oil； and went into a small room of the hut where he slept。 ¨Iˇm going to take a little sleep；〃 he said to the adjutant。 In that army an adjutant is not a commissioned officer。 ¨Youˇll finish up。〃
¨Yes； Signor Maggiore；〃 the adjutant answered。 He leaned back in his chair and yawned。 He took a paper…covered book out of the pocket of his coat and opened it； then laid it down on the table and lit his pipe。 He leaned forward on the table to read and puffed at his pipe。 Then he closed the book and put it back in his pocket。 He had too much paper…work to get through。 He could not enjoy reading until it was done。 Outside； the sun went behind a mountain and there was no more light on the wall of the hut。 A soldier came in and put some pine branches； chopped into irregular lengths； into the stove。 ¨Be soft； Pinin；〃 the adjutant said to him。 ¨The major is sleeping。〃
Pinin was the majorˇs orderly。 He was a dark…faced boy； and he fixed the stove； putting the pine wood in carefully； shut the door； and went into the back of the but again。 The adjutant went on with his papers。
¨Tonani；〃 the major called。
¨Signor Maggiore？〃
¨Send Pinin in to me。〃
¨Pinin！〃 the adjutant called。 Pinin came into the room。 ¨The major wants you；〃 the adjutant said。
Pinin walked across the main room of the but toward the majorˇs door。 He knocked on the half…opened door。 ¨Signor Maggiore？〃
¨Come in；〃 the adjutant heard the major say； ¨and shut the door。〃
Inside the room the major lay on his bunk。 Pinin stood beside the bunk。 The major lay with his head on the rucksack that he had stuffed with spare clothing to make a pillow。 His lo