with These Hands (Ss) (2002) Read Online Free Page A

don't!"
    Flash Moran fought bitterly, swapping punches in the clinch with the Soldier, then the referee broke them apart.
    Suddenly, Flash Moran knew what Barnaby had said couldn't be true. The Soldier was too good a man. What if Barnaby had tried to double-cross him? What if-he stabbed a left to the Soldier's mouth, smashed both hands to the body, and then went inside and clinched.
    "You dive and I squeal the whole thing!" he muttered.
    "I won't let you dive! I'll talk right here, from the ring. If you go out during the round, I'll spill it right here."
    "Marollo would kill you, too!" Barnaby snarled. They broke, sparred at long range, and Flash Moran let go with a right. Even as the punch started, he knew the Soldier was going to take it. The punch was partially blocked, and Barnaby began to wilt.
    Like a streak Moran closed in and clinched, heaving him back against the ropes.
    "I told you!" Moran muttered. "Fight, you yellow skunk!
    Real fighters don't dive!"
    Barnaby broke loose, his eyes cold. He stabbed a left to the mouth, crossed a right, and Flash went inside with both hands to the body. He staggered Barnaby with a left, and knocked him into the ropes. As they rolled along the ropes, the Soldier tried to fall again, but Flash brought him up with a left just as the bell sounded. At this moment, Moran looked over the Soldier's shoulder right into Marollo's eyes.
    Blackie Marollo was looking like a very sick man.
    McKracken, his big, swarthy face yellow, was also sagging.
    Instantly, Moran knew what had happened. They had overbet and they wouldn't be able to pay up!
    The bell clanged again, and the referee broke the two fighters and they went to their corners.
    The eleventh was quieter. Flash knew nothing would happen in the eleventh. Marollo had frightened the Soldier into trying to dive in the tenth, but the Soldier's money was bet on a dive in the twelfth round.
    Flash Moran walked in and feinted to the head, then uppercut hard with a left to the liver. He stepped in a bit more and brought up his right under the Soldier's heart.
    He landed two more punches to the body in a clinch and they broke. Moran was body punching now. He slipped a left and rapped a right over Barnaby's heart, then hooked a left. He landed twice more to the body as the bell rang.
    The twelfth opened fast. Both men walked to the center of the ring and Moran got in the first punch, a left that started the blood from the Soldier's mouth. As he slipped a left, they began to slug, fighting hard. They battered each other from corner to corner of the ring for two solid minutes. There was no letup. This was hard, bitter, slambang fighting. Suddenly, Barnaby caught a high right and started to fall.
    Moran rushed him into the ropes before he could hit the canvas and smashed a right to the head. Angry, Barnaby jerked his head away from a second punch, and slugged Flash Moran in the wind. Moran's mouth fell open as he gasped for breath. As he staggered back, all the fighter in Barnaby came back with a rush. This was victory! He could win!
    Seeing a big title fight just ahead of him, Barnaby came in slugging!
    Half covered, Moran reeled under the storm of blows and went down. He staggered up at ten, and went down again. Just before the bell rang, he straightened up. They clinched.
    "You played 'possum, blast you!" Barnaby snarled.
    "Sure! I always liked a fight!" Moran said and let go with a left that narrowly missed the Soldier and slid by him, almost landing on the face of the referee. The referee jerked back like he'd been shot at, and glared at Moran.
    "Naughty, naughty!" Barnaby said with a grin.
    The bell rang.
    When they came out for the thirteenth, they came out fast.
    "All right!" Barnaby snapped. "You wanted a fight. Well you're gonna get one!"
    He ducked a left and slammed a wicked right to Moran's middle. Moran gasped with pain and Barnaby crowded on in, driving Moran back into the ropes with a flurry of wicked punches. A steaming right caught