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TfeDARK KNIGHT » A Smashing Story of Brown Love and Thrilling ^ Intrigue by WILLIAM T. SMITH HalentedNegmWriter SYNOPSIS Rod Herrick, a young Montanan, has come to Chicago to enter the university. At » party, to which he is unwillingly taken by his friend Martin Thompson a lawyer from his home, he meets his hostess, lovely Lyla Durant, whose father is an alderman. When he dances with her he treads on her toes, and her fiance, Reggie, makes a cutting remark regarding Rod's clumsiness. The girl averts trouble by taking Rod into the garden where they become well acquainted. Later at a cabaret, Reggie becomes intoxicated and strikes Rod, who does not return his blow. For a few minutes Lyla thinks him a coward in .pite of his splendid size, and apparent strength. Later she changes her opinion when Rod whips Wolf, a gangster, who insults Lyla. Rod is warned, the next day, that Wolf is dangerous and will not forget his de feat at Red’s hands quickly. When the youth calls on Lyla that night he meets Alderman Durant, who also warns him that Wolf may attempt to harm him. Rod laughs at the warning, but as he leaves Lyla’s home at mid-night he is “taken for a ride” by Wolf and his gang, who inform him that they are going to shoot him to death. Rod warns them that his father, a wealthy ranchman in Montana will avenge him at which Wolf threatens to wire the rancher for £5,000 after they have killed Rod. The youth steels himself to make some sort of effort to escape as the car turns into a lonely road in the country, but any such action proves unnecessary as :he machine is halted by a group of prohibition agents lying in wait for bootleggers. They send Wolf on his way after Rod tells his story, and take Rod back to the city with them. In this manner the young Westerner escapes. The next day he meets Kling, a Jewish manager of prize-fighters, who offers Rod a contract, telling him that he can make a great -leal of money. Rod needs money to enter school, and so accepts the contract. Kling then takes him down town to a gymnasium, where a number of boxers are training. Kellv, a middleweight fighter, resents Rod’s addition to the Kling boxing stables, as he is afraid that Rod may take his place. Kling tells Kelly to box with Rod and the other fighter shows by his manner that he, intends tn harm Rod once they are in the ring. CHAPTER IV PART I Rod followed the heavily muscled blond youth toward the ring quietly. Kling stood in the background watching. He sensed Kelly’s enmity toward Rod, and he understood the blond youth's feeling. Kelly had lost his past three fights, and feared that Klmg would replace him with an other fighter. Kelly leaped lightly through the ropes of the ring and stood waiting in the center of the hempen inclos ure. a cruel smile twisting his thin lips into a half snarl. “Make it snappy there, Big Boy,” he commanded Rod, who was climb ing into the ring, “or you’ll make me think you are afraid.” Rod grinned easily. “Maybe I am,” he suggested. “You'd better be,” his opponent ad vised. Prom the edge of the ring Kling spoke. “Now, don’t go slugging at the boy, Kelly. Just box with him so we can find out where he’s weak. No rough stuff, see, or you’ll maybe get a surprise. And you. Cowboy— you show us what you know, and don’t be afraid to let loose your punches.” He glanced at the watch he held in his hand, and suddenly called, Kell" shuffled confidently toward Rod, who danced lightly away. The blond fighter sneered, then followed rapidly, jabbing tentatively at Rod’s face. The bronzed youth averted his head the slightest trifle, making Kelly’s blow go wide of its mark. Kelly scowled, then rushed Rod to the ropes, pumping vigorously at his body. As Rod’s back struck the ropes, he relaxed, then as the hemp re bounded, throwing him back into the ring with swift force, he swung ^his right arm in a short arc, strik I ing the other boxer flush on his jaw, sending him to the canvas covered floor with a dull thump. “See, I told you!” shouted Kling. “I told you you should not get rough with the boy. And anyway, you ought to know better than to follow anyone, even an amateur, into the rooes.” Kelly sat on the floor staring in amazement at Rod. He got to his feet slowly, shook his head, and grated, “Aw, accidents will happen to anyone. The chump just got a lucky blow in on me. Come on, Big Boy. We’ll see what there is to you.” KELLY TAKES A FLOP Kling’s keen eyes narrowed, but he remained silent as Kelly, half crouching, leaped savagely at Rod. The latter, his eyes blazing, did not give an inch but met Kelly's oncom ing form with a staccato shower of swift blows, taking in return a hard smash to his jaw. For an instant the two men stood toe to toe, slugging furiously, forgetful of boxing skill, each intent only on beating the other to the floor. The furious mixup, and the un precedented knockdown of Kelly had drawn most of the boxers in the gym around the ring in which the two were fighting. They shouted advice to both men indiscriminately, and even struck each other in their enjoyment of the fierce glove swing ing. Then abruptly Kelly’s knees sagged, his arms dropped, and a dazed ex pression crept over his race. As he sank druiixenly towrard the floor, Rod landed a final crashing jolt to his mid-section, which sent the blond youth back on his heels, and to the canvas where he lay twitching, his legs doubled under him. For an instant Rod stood regard ing his fallen foe with burning eyes, then seeing that he was “out cold," ' A STRANGE CAR He Shouted Hoarsely—Then Began Running Madly Toward the Vehicle picked him up and dragged him in-i to one of the corners, where some body had pushed a chair. When Kelly fell, an instant of hushed silence had swept over the crowd. Kling's voice was silently awed when he spoke. “By golly. Kid, you’ve K.O’d him sure as shootin’. Why, that’s the first time Kelly’s ever been knocked out in his life. Golly, what a sock you got!” ROD BEGINS HIS CAREER As Rod climbed out of the ring, the other fighters crowded around him, slapping him on the back, and saying a great number of congratu latory things. Kling waved them away brusquely. “Say, what you bums trying to do? Give my new boy the big-head? Come on. Cowboy, you’ve made me know what kind of a fighter you are.” Rod smiled at the other fighters who surrounded him, then with a last glance at the corner where sev eral men were working over the still unconscious Kelly, he followed Kling back to the dressing rooms, where the latter promptly closed and locked thj doors. “Say, Cowboy,” he asked, a trace of wonderment in his voice, “ain’t you never fought before in a ring? Honest, ain’t you now?” Rod grinned, and felt his swollen jaw tenderly. “No, Mr. Kling, I’ve never fought ,in a ring before, but to be truthful,< I have boxed a lot. Maybe I didn’t tell you, but the fellow who was J working on our ranch was Dandy O’Day, former welterweight cham pion, who was trying to regain his health by working out there in the open air. He taught me a lot, I guess.” Kling whistled. “O’Day, eh? No wonder you know how to use your | feet and hands. Now listen, Kid— with your looks and the punch you got in your mitts, we ought to clean up a bunch of dough. All I want you to do is follow out my instruc tions. You got to come down here j every day and work out, so the news- j paper guys can look you over. And ] though your wind may be all right, i I want that you should get up early in the morning and trot a few miles, j How about it?” “OK. Mr. Kling. But I warn you that I’m only going to fight this I summer. I want to go to school this: fall. That’s tne only reason why I j signed up with you—to get enough money to enter schooi.” “You’ll forget that. Cowboy,” Kling assured him, “when you get your hands on some real cash. Just wait and see." PART II When Rod got home he found a message awaiting him from Lyla. He ►phoned ner at once, only to find that she was not at home. Restless ly he paced up and down his small room, while plans, thoughts, ideas swam through his mind in a con fusing kaleidoscope. He wondered what Lyla would say when he told her that he had turned professional fighter. He was afraid that she would disapprove. Perhaps she would refuse to see him, even, when she knew about his n^w profession. He asked himself what he would do in that case. But perhaps she wouldn't mind. Kling had told him that he would be able to make a great deal of money in the ring as a fighter. Sup pose he did? Then he would be able to own a ^ar dress well, and be the kind of person whom Lyla’s friends seemed to be. Perhaps he would even make enough money to go back out to Montana and buy a vast ranch which bordered on that of his father’s. But that would mean leav ing Lyla. He could never do that. Maybe she would be willing to gd out there herself. He put the idea from him with a rueful grin. No, she was a city girl, used to the luxu ries of the city, and she would never (Continued on Page Four) Text by ROLFE DELLON Drawn by FRED B. WATSON The Stormy Career of Jack Johnson--No. 22 At Leavenworth all of the prison officials were exc3edingly considerate of Jack. The wardens urged him to continue his physical training. Jack w*s entrusted with the re sponsibility of keeping the entire prison in the best physical condition. His prison term developed into a period of relaxation for him. Jack was i-urpt^sw’ i. ie day to meet his friend, the former Governor Dickerson of Nevada. He was chief executive of tha. state when Jack fought Jeffries in 1910. The two had much association together and through out Jack’s prison term the former governor proved a staunch friend and adviser. On Thanksgiving day in prison Jack de feated two fighters of considerable ability. The fighters had oeen brought from Chicago for the occasion. The fights took place in a ring especially built within the prison walls. The prison bands were out in full force and blared forth whef. Jack entered the ring. Jack’s record for good behavior won Tor him a shortening of the original term. He was discharged after serving eight months of the year-and-a-day sentence. Four bands took part in the demonstration on the day Jack left prison. Hundreds of people and a« temobiles swarmed the grounds.