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¨So long；〃 Jack said。 He gave Bruce two dollars。 Bruce had worked on him a lot。 He looked kind of disappointed。 Jack saw me looking at Bruce holding the two dollars。
¨Itˇs all in the bill；〃 he said。 ¨Hogan charged me for the rubbing。〃
On the train going to town Jack didnˇt talk。 He sat in the corner of the seat with his ticket in his hat…band and looked out of the window。 Once he turned and spoke to me。
¨I told the wife Iˇd take a room at the Shelby tonight；〃 he said。 ¨Itˇs just around the corner from the Garden。 I can go up to the house tomorrow morning。〃
¨Thatˇs a good idea；〃 I said。 ¨Your wife ever see you fight； Jack？〃
¨No；〃 Jack says。 ¨She never seen me fight。〃
I thought he must be figuring on taking an awful beating if he doesnˇt want to go home afterwards。 In town we took a taxi up to the Shelby。 A boy came out and took our bags and we went to the desk。
¨How much are the rooms？〃 Jack asked。
¨We only have double rooms；〃 the clerk says。 ¨I can give you a nice double room for ten dollars。〃
¨Thatˇs too steep。〃
¨I can give you a double room for seven dollars。〃
¨With a bath？〃
¨Certainly。〃
¨You might as well bunk with me； Jerry；〃 Jack says。
¨Oh；〃 I said。 ¨Iˇll sleep down at my brother…in…lawˇs。〃
¨I donˇt mean for you to pay it；〃 Jack says。 ¨I just want to get my moneyˇs worth。〃
¨Will you register； please？〃 the clerk says。 He looked at the names。 ¨Number 238； Mister Brennan。〃
We went up in the elevator。 It was a nice big room with two beds and a door opening into a bathroom。
¨This is pretty good；〃 Jack says。
The boy who brought us up pulled up the curtains and brought in our bags。 Jack didnˇt make any move； so I gave the boy a quarter。 We washed up and Jack said we better go out and get something to eat。
We ate a lunch at Jimmy Handleyˇs place。 Quite a lot of the boys were there。 When we were about half through eating； John came in and sat down with us。 Jack didnˇt talk much。
¨How are you on the weight； Jack？〃 John asked him。 Jack was putting away a pretty good lunch。
¨I could make it with my clothes on；〃 Jack said。 He never had to worry about taking off weight。 He was a natural welter…weight and heˇd never gotten fat。 Heˇd lost weight out at Hoganˇs。
¨Well； thatˇs one thing you never had to worry about。〃 John said。
¨Thatˇs one thing；〃 Jack says。
We went around to the Garden to weigh…in after lunch。 The match was made at a hundred forty…seven pounds at three oˇclock。 Jack stepped on the scales with a towel around him。 The bar didnˇt move。 Walcott had just weighed and was standing with a lot of people around him。
¨Letˇs see what you weigh； Jack；〃 Freedman； Walcottˇs manager； said。
¨All right； weigh him then；〃 Jack jerked his head towards Walcott。
¨Drop the towel；〃 Freedman said。
¨What do you make it？〃 Jack asked the fellows who were weighing。
¨One hundred and forty…three pounds；〃 the fat man who was weighing said。
¨Youˇre down fine； Jack；〃 Freedman says。
¨Weigh him；〃 Jack says。
Walcott came over。 He was blond with wide shoulders and arms like a heavyweight。 He didnˇt have much legs。 Jack stood about half…a…head taller than he did。
¨Hello； Jack；〃 he said。 His face was plenty marked up。
¨Hello；〃 said Jack。 ¨How do you feel？〃
¨Good；〃 Walcott says。 He dropped the towel from around his waist and stood on the scales。 He had the widest shoulders and back you ever saw。
¨One hundred and forty…six pounds and twelve ounces。〃
Walcott stepped off and grinned at Jack。
¨Well；〃 John says to him； ¨Jackˇs spotting you about four pounds。〃
¨More than that when I come in； kid；〃 Walcott says。 ¨Iˇm going to go and eat now。〃
We went back and Jack got dressed。 ¨Heˇs a pretty tough…looking boy；〃 Jack says to me。
¨He looks as though heˇd been hit plenty of times。〃
¨Oh； yes；〃 Jack says。 ¨He ainˇt hard to hit。〃
¨Where are you going？〃 John asked when Jack was dressed。
¨Back to the hotel；〃 Jack says。 ¨You looked after everything？〃
¨Yes；〃 John says。 ¨Itˇs all looked after。〃
¨Iˇm going to lie down for a while；〃 Jack says。
¨Iˇll come around for you about a quarter to seven and weˇll go and eat。〃
¨All right。〃
Up at the hotel Jack took off his shoes and his coat and lay down for a while。 I wrote a letter。 I looked over a couple of times and Jack wasnˇt sleeping。 He was lying perfectly still but every once in a while his eyes would open。 Finally he sits up。
¨Want to play some cribbage； Jerry？〃 he says。
¨Sure；〃 I said。
He went over to his suitcase and got out the cards and the cribbage board。 We played cribbage and he won three dollars off me。 John knocked at the door and came in。
¨Want to play some cribbage； John？〃 Jack asked him。
John put his kelly down on the table。 It was all wet。 His coat was wet too。
¨Is it raining？〃 Jack asks。
¨Itˇs pouring；〃 John says。 ¨The taxi I had got tied up in the traffic and I got out and walked。〃
¨Come on； play some cribbage；〃 Jack says。
¨You ought to go and eat。〃
¨No；〃 says Jack。 ¨I donˇt want to eat yet。〃
So they played cribbage for about half an hour and Jack won a dollar and a half off him。
¨Well； I suppose we got to go eat；〃 Jack says。 He went to the window and looked out。
¨Is it still raining？〃
¨Yes。〃
¨Letˇs eat in the hotel；〃 John says。
¨All right；〃 Jack says； ¨Iˇll play you once more to see who pays for the meal。〃
After a little while Jack gets up and says； ¨You buy the meal； John；〃 and we went downstairs and ate in the big dining…room。
After we ate we went upstairs and Jack played cribbage with John again and won two dollars and a half off him。 Jack was feeling pretty good。 John had a bag with him with all his stuff in it。 Jack took off his shirt and collar and put on a jersey and a sweater； so he wouldnˇt catch cold when he came out； and put his ring clothes and bathrobe in a bag。
¨You all ready？〃 John asks him。 ¨Iˇll call up and have them get a taxi。
Pretty soon the telephone rang and they said the taxi was waiting。
We rode down in the elevator and went out through the lobby； and got in a taxi and rode around to the Garden。 It was raining hard but there was a lot of people outside on the streets。 The Garden was sold out。 As we came in on our way to the dressing…room I saw how full it was。 It looked like half a mile down to the ring。 It was all dark。 Just the lights over the ring。
¨Itˇs a good thing； with this rain； they didnˇt try to pull this fight in the ball park；〃 John said。
¨They got a good crowd；〃 Jack says。
¨This is a fight that would draw a lot more than the Garden could hold。〃
¨You canˇt tell about the weather；〃 Jack says。
John came to the door of the dressing…room and poked his head in。 Jack was sitting there with his bathrobe on； he had his arms folded and was looking at the floor。 John had a couple of handlers with him。 They looked over his shoulder。 Jack looked up。
¨Is he in？〃 he asked。
¨Heˇs just gone