Page:Morley roberts--Painted Rock.djvu/85

 And Keeley replied, 'I was just goin' to ask you the same. How surprisin'.' And they circled about each other like dogs, and us umpires retired a few paces and stood. And all of a sudden they grabbed each other, and the dust flew violent. You may hev noticed that the dust in the plaza is mighty thick and red and light. For a whole minute we could hardly see these two gladiators circusing round like a teetotum; and then there was a bigger cloud and a thud, and when the dust laid a bit the two was on the ground with Keeley on top. And the Gingerites groaned, and the Keeleyites yelled, and I felt some sick myself. But of course this was no more than the openin' of the drayma; and how was Keeley to take Ginger unless he could get up? That's what I said to Smith when he let on that my hundred dollars was as good as in his pocket. I said 'As good as in hell.' And then the dust flew again, and when it settled Ginger was on top, and the crowd yelled again. And now I could see that all Ginger wanted was to get up while Keeley was down. But Keeley was a tolerable hold-fast, and it took Ginger