Page:Fighting blood (IA fightingblood00witw).pdf/75

 "Shut up!" bawls Shapiro, pushing him away. "I'm"

I'm on my feet by this time and the dizziness has went. My jaw's so sore I can hardly close my mouth, but that "yellah" stuff set me ablaze! All the things which had happened to me in the last two days comes to a head. Getting pinched, doing that fool dive into the lake, having Rags Dempster lord it over me, leaving Drew City, and Judy's cold good-bye. Now this guy calls me "yellah" and likewise knocks me flat. Too much! I ain't figuring on starting my climb to the top this way. My mouth is twitching into a silly grin, like it always does when I'm crazy mad. I can't control that to save my soul, and that nervous flickering of my lips seems to make a lot of people think I'm faint-hearted. I pushed the surprised Shapiro away and stood in front of the leering Kelly.

"Put up your hands!" I snarls, as tough as him.

Then the fun began.

Kelly sent a wicked smash at my face, but I expected this one and kind of clumsily ducked it. It only hit me a glancing blow, but they was force enough in it to knock me aside, and the next punch, catching me off balance, floored me again. I bounced right up, but I'm goofy, for a fact! They's at least three sneering Kellys in front of me, the way it looks to me. He stepped in close again and—well, it just rains boxing gloves on my face and body. I don't know how many times I hit the mat, whatever it was it was enough!

I know the last time I crawled to my feet I happened to glance at my heaving chest and I see it's splattered