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¨Listen； Jerry；〃 Jack says。 ¨You want to make some money？ Get some money down on Walcott。〃
¨Yes？〃
¨Listen； Jerry。〃 Jack put down the glass。 ¨Iˇm not drunk now； see？ You know what Iˇm betting on him？ Fifty grand。〃
¨Thatˇs a lot of dough。〃
¨Fifty grand；〃 Jack says； ¨at two to one。 Iˇll get twenty…five thousand bucks。 Get some money on him； Jerry。〃
¨It sounds good；〃 I said。
¨How can I beat him？〃 Jack says。 ¨It ainˇt crooked。 How can I beat him？ Why not make money on it？〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
¨Iˇm through after this fight；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm through with it。 I got to take a beating。 Why shouldnˇt I make money on it？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨I ainˇt slept for a week；〃 Jack says。 ¨All night I lay awake and worry my can off。 I canˇt sleep； Jerry。 You ainˇt got an idea what itˇs like when you canˇt sleep。〃
¨Sure。〃
¨I canˇt sleep。 Thatˇs all。 I just canˇt sleep。 Whatˇs the use of taking care of yourself all these years when you canˇt sleep？〃
¨Itˇs bad。〃
¨You ainˇt got an idea what itˇs like； Jerry； when you canˇt sleep。〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
Well； about eleven oˇclock Jack passes out and I put him to bed。 Finally heˇs so he canˇt keep from sleeping。 I helped him get his clothes off and got him into bed。
¨Youˇll sleep all right； Jack；〃 I said。
¨Sure；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇll sleep now。〃
¨Good night； Jack；〃 I said。
¨Good night； Jerry；〃 Jack says。 ¨Youˇre the only friend I got。〃
¨Oh； hell；〃 I said。
¨Youˇre the only friend I got；〃 Jack says； ˉthe only friend I got。〃
¨Go to sleep；〃 I said。
¨Iˇll sleep；〃 Jack says。
Downstairs； Hogan was sitting at the desk in the office reading the papers。 He looked up。 ¨Well； you get your boy friend to sleep？〃 he asks。
¨Heˇs off。〃
¨Itˇs better for him than not sleeping；〃 Hogan said。
¨Sure。〃
¨Youˇd have a hell of a time explaining that to these sports writers though；〃 Hogan said。
¨Well； Iˇm going to bed myself；〃 I said。
¨Good night；〃 said Hogan。
In the morning I came downstairs about eight oˇclock and got some breakfast。 Hogan had his customers out in the barn doing exercises。 I went out and watched them。
¨One！ Two！ Three！ Four！〃 Hogan was counting for them。 ¨Hello； Jerry；〃 he said。 ¨Is Jack up yet？〃
¨No。 Heˇs still sleeping。〃
I went back to my room and packed up to go to town。 About nine…thirty I heard Jack getting up in the next room。 When I heard him go downstairs I went down after him。 Jack was sitting at the breakfast table。 Hogan had come in and was standing beside the table。
¨How do you feel； Jack？〃 I asked him。
¨Not so bad。〃
¨Sleep well？〃 Hogan asked。
¨I slept all right；〃 Jack said。 ¨I got a thick tongue but I ainˇt got a head。〃
¨Good；〃 said Hogan。 ¨That was good liquor。〃
¨Put it on the bill；〃 Jack says。
¨What time you want to go into town？〃 Hogan asked。
¨Before lunch；〃 Jack says。 ¨The eleven oˇclock train。〃
¨Sit down； Jerry；〃 Jack said。 Hogan went out。
I sat down at the table。 Jack was eating a grapefruit。 When heˇd find a seed heˇd spit it out in the spoon and dump it on the plate。
¨I guess I was pretty stewed last night；〃 he started。
¨You drank some liquor。〃
¨I guess I said a lot of fool things。〃
¨You werenˇt bad。〃
¨Whereˇs Hogan？〃 he asked。 He was through with the grape…fruit。
¨Heˇs out in front in the office。〃
¨What did I say about betting on the fight？〃 Jack asked。 He was holding the spoon and sort of poking at the grapefruit with it。
The girl came in with some ham and eggs and took away the grape…fruit。
¨Bring me another glass of milk；〃 Jack said to her。 She went out。
¨You said you had fifty grand on Walcott；〃 I said。
¨Thatˇs right；〃 Jack said。
¨Thatˇs a lot of money。〃
¨I donˇt feel too good about it；〃 Jack said。
¨Something might happen。〃
¨No；〃 Jack said。 ¨He wants the title bad。 Theyˇll be shooting with him all right。〃
¨You canˇt ever tell。〃
¨No。 He wants the title。 Itˇs worth a lot of money to him。
¨Fifty grand is a lot of money；〃 I said。
¨Itˇs business；〃 said Jack。 ¨I canˇt win。 You know I canˇt win anyway。〃
¨As long as youˇre in there you got a chance。〃
¨No；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm all through。 Itˇs just business。〃
¨How do you feel？〃
¨Pretty good；〃 Jack said。 ¨The sleep was what I needed。〃
¨You might go good。〃
¨Iˇll give them a good show；〃 Jack said。
After breakfast Jack called up his wife on the long…distance。 He was inside the booth telephoning。
¨Thatˇs the first time heˇs called her up since heˇs out here；〃 Hogan said。
¨He writes her every day。〃
¨Sure；〃 Hogan says； ¨a letter only costs two cents。〃
Hogan said good…bye to us and Bruce； the nigger rubber； drove us down to the train in the cart。
¨Good…bye； Mr。 Brennan；〃 Bruce said at the train； ¨I sure hope you knock his can off。〃
¨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