over the ropes and when I do he tells me that the Kid's wife has arranged to get the fight returns at her home, along with the results of the ballotin'. Well, up till the third round, Dolores was hearin' of her hubby receivin' as steady a beatin' in the ring as she was gettin' at the polls. That sore right hand proved a decided handicap, and, takin' a desperate chance with it in the second round, the Kid broke it, renderin' it practically useless from then on!
The first round went to the cool and clever Guardsman by a good margin. Kid Roberts was nervous and cold. He couldn't seem to untrack himself, whilst the Englishman piled up points with a stiff straight left which didn't seem able to miss the Kid's face. The champion tried sayin' it with left hooks, but Guardsman Blue smothered his efforts with apparent ease, frequently crossin' his own right with damagin' effect. Blue was a pretty boxer and no mistake! Towards the end of the round, the Guardsman hit Kid Roberts on the back of the neck with a rabbit punch in a clinch. The crowd hissed and the referee warned Blue, which politely touched gloves in apology with the Kid, causin' the feverish crowd to cheer him. Crowds is funny, what?
The bell found the men sparrin' cautiously in mid-ring and the patrons of the manly art bellerin' for a little more manslaughter and a little less dancin'. The Kid run to his corner breathin' as regular as a sleepin' baby, but he hadn't landed four clean blows on the shifty Englishman. I give him a light spongin' and told him to keep in close, as it was a cinch even that
