Page:Fighting Back (1924).pdf/204

 and he can't see a foot in front of him out of two redly swollen and highly inflamed eyes!

It had seemed to me from the first that them blindin' lights had been placed much too close to the trainin' ring and likewise there appeared to be entirely too many of 'em. The director, how the so ever, had soothin'ly explained to me that all this was necessary to get the best results. He said a tongueful!

The day of the big fight, Kid Roberts wakes up with his eyes still in bad shape, though some of the inflammation has went down. Myrtle Magnificent talked her way past the guards I had outside the camp and give the Kid a lotion to put on his burn glims. She tells the Kid that she's worse than terrible sorry for bein' nothin' but grief to him, but she adds that he's merely got a slight touchof "Kleig eyes," which they all fall prey to in the movies. It's nothin' to worry about, says Myrtle, and will quickly pass away once he plasters 'em with the goo she give him. She's another one which should of been gave the last lesson first!

Well, as if the trouble with the Kid's eyes ain't enough to poison us that day a hitch comes up at the last minute over the referee. The promoter has me on long-distance nearly all mornin', fin'ly insistin' that I come right down to New York and help straighten matters out personally. I grabbed Ptomaine and went ahead, leavin' Kid Roberts to shove off later by auto with the other handlers, so's he'd attract as little attention as possible. The Kid always hated display in anything from clothes to humans.