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 Goliath with a punch. Said boost was the complete retirement from the ring of Ptomaine Joe which left a record for the boys to shoot at for some time to come. A perfect percentage—not a single win in a entire career in the ring. Hot puppy!

This parsnip seeks me out in the trainin' camp one day.

"Hold everything!" he says, "and get set for a shock!"

"On your way, Ignorant," I answers, the height of courtesy, "I wouldn't loan you a nickel if I had two more than there is in the mint!"

"And I wouldn't ask you for one if I knowed where I could buy a steam yacht with it!" says Ptomaine. "You'd think you was payin' teller durin' your spare time—always talkin' about money. If"

"Come to the point and be done with it, will you?" I butt in harshly.

"You don't give me the opportunity," complains Ptomaine, "It's a wonder you ain't on the board of pardons—you never let nobody finish a sentence!"

"That wins!" I says, throwin' up my hands. "Do your stuff and make it snappy!"

"Well," says Ptomaine, "what I wished to state was 'at the fight industry will have to crawl along without my valuable services from now on. I'll never pull on another boxin' glove as long as I'm allowed to breathe! If Kid Roberts was wise, he'd quit the game too and let this Arabian punk content himself with shadow boxin'. Old Father Time is startin' to tell on the champ, just like it ison me. We're pretty much alike."