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¨Well；〃 says Jack； ¨you better go back to town； Soldier。〃
¨What do you mean？〃
¨You better go back to town and stay there。〃
¨Whatˇs the matter？〃
¨Iˇm sick of hearing you talk。〃
¨Yes？〃 says Soldier。
¨Yes；〃 says Jack。
¨Youˇll be a damn sight sicker when Walcott gets through with you。〃
¨Sure；〃 says Jack； ¨maybe I will。 But I know Iˇm sick of you。〃
So Soldier went off on that train to town that same morning。 I went with him to the train。 He was good and sore。
¨I was just kidding him；〃 he said。 We were waiting on the platform。 ¨He canˇt pull that stuff with me； Jerry。〃
¨Heˇs nervous and crabby；〃 I said。 ¨Heˇs a good fellow； Soldier。〃
¨The hell he is。 The hell heˇs ever been a good fellow。〃
¨Well；〃 I said； ¨so long； Soldier。〃
The train had come in。 He climbed up with his bag。
¨So long； Jerry；〃 he says。 ¨You be in town before the fight？〃
¨I donˇt think so。〃
¨See you then。〃
He went in and the conductor swung up and the train went out。 I rode back to the farm in the cart。 Jack was on the porch writing a letter to his wife。 The mail had come and I got the papers and went over on the other side of the porch and sat down to read。 Hogan came out the door and walked over to me。
¨Did he have a jam with Soldier？〃
¨Not a jam；〃 I said。 ¨He just told him to go back to town。〃
¨I could see it coming；〃 Hogan said。 ¨He never liked Soldier much。〃
¨No。 He donˇt like many people。〃
¨Heˇs a pretty cold one；〃 Hogan said。
¨Well； heˇs always been fine to me。〃
¨Me too；〃 Hogan said。 ¨I got no kick on him。 Heˇs a cold one though。〃
Hogan went in through the screen door and I sat there on the porch and read the papers。 It was just starting to get fall weather and itˇs nice country there in Jersey； up in the hills； and after I read the paper through I sat there and looked out at the country and the road down below against the woods with cars going along it； lifting the dust up。 It was fine weather and pretty nice…looking country。 Hogan came to the door and I said； ¨Say； Hogan； havenˇt you got anything to shoot here？〃
¨No；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Only sparrows。〃
¨Seen the paper？〃 I said to Hogan。 ¨Whatˇs in it？〃
¨Sande booted three of them in yesterday。〃
¨I got that on the telephone last night。〃
¨You follow them pretty close； Hogan？〃 I asked。
¨Oh； I keep in touch with them；〃 Hogan said。
¨How about Jack？〃 I says。 ¨Does he still play them？〃
¨Him？〃 said Hogan。 ¨Can you see him doing it？〃
Just then Jack came around the corner with the letter in his hand。 Heˇs wearing a sweater and an old pair of pants and boxing shoes。
¨Got a stamp； Hogan？〃 he asks。
¨Give me that letter；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Iˇll mail it for you。〃
¨Say； Jack；〃 I said； ˉdidnˇt you used to play the ponies？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨I knew you did。 I knew I used to see you out at Sheepshead。〃
¨What did you lay off them for？〃 Hogan asked。
¨Lost money。〃
Jack sat down on the porch by me。 He leaned back against a post。 He shut his eyes in the sun。
¨Want a chair？〃 Hogan asked。
¨No；〃 said Jack。 ¨This is fine。〃
¨Itˇs a nice day；〃 I said。 ¨Itˇs pretty nice out in the country。〃
¨Iˇd a damn sight rather be in town with the wife。〃
¨Well； you only got another week。〃
¨Yes；〃 Jack says。 ¨Thatˇs so。〃
We sat there on the porch。 Hogan was inside at the office。
¨What do you think about the shape Iˇm in？〃 Jack asked me。
¨Well； you canˇt tell；〃 I said。 ¨You got a week to get around into form。〃
¨Donˇt stall me。〃
¨Well；〃 I said； ¨youˇre not right。〃
¨Iˇm not sleeping；〃 Jack said。
¨Youˇll be all right in a couple of days。〃
¨No；〃 said Jack； ¨I got the insomnia。〃
¨Whatˇs on your mind？〃
¨I miss the wife。〃
¨Have her come out。〃
¨No。 Iˇm too old for that。〃
¨Weˇll take a long walk before you turn in and get you good and tired。〃
¨Tired！〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm tired all the time。〃
He was that way all week。 He wouldnˇt sleep at night and heˇd get up in the morning feeling that way； you know when you canˇt shut your hands。
¨Heˇs stale as poorhouse cake；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Heˇs nothing。〃
¨I never seen Walcott；〃 I said。
¨Heˇll kill him；〃 said Hogan。 ¨Heˇll tear him in two。〃
¨Well；〃 I said； ¨everybodyˇs got to get it sometime。〃
¨Not like this； though；〃 Hogan said。 ¨Theyˇll think he never trained。 It gives the farm a black eye。〃
¨You hear what the reporters said about him？〃
¨Didnˇt I！ They said he was awful。 They said they oughtnˇt to let him fight。〃
¨Well；〃 I said； ¨theyˇre always wrong； ainˇt they？〃
¨Yes；〃 said Hogan。 ¨But this time theyˇre right。〃
¨What the hell do they know about whether a manˇs right or not？〃
¨Well；〃 said Hogan； ¨theyˇre not such fools。〃
¨All they did was pick Willard at Toledo。 This Lardner； heˇs so wise now； ask him about when he picked Willard at Toledo。〃
¨Aw； he wasnˇt out；〃 Hogan said。 ¨He only writes the big fights。〃
¨I donˇt care who they are；〃 I said。 ¨What the hell do they know？ They can write maybe； but what the hell do they know？〃
¨You donˇt think Jackˇs in any shape； do you？〃 Hogan asked。
¨No。 Heˇs through。 All he needs is to have Corbett pick him to win for it to be all over。〃
¨Well； Corbettˇll pick him；〃 Hogan says。
¨Sure。 Heˇll pick him。〃
That night Jack didnˇt sleep any either。 The next morning was the last day before the fight。 After breakfast we were out on the porch again。
¨What do you think about； Jack； when you canˇt sleep？〃 I said。
¨Oh； I worry；〃 Jack says。 ¨I worry about property I got up in the Bronx； I worry about property I got in Florida。 I worry about the kids。 I worry about the wife。 Sometimes I think about fights。 I think about that kike Richie Lewis and I get sore。 I got some stocks and I worry about them。 What the hell donˇt I think about？〃
¨Well；〃 I said； ¨tomorrow night itˇll all be over。〃
¨Sure；〃 said Jack。 ¨That always helps a lot； donˇt it？ That just fixes everything all up； I suppose。 Sure。〃
He was sore all day。 We didnˇt do any work。 Jack just moved around a little to loosen up。 He shadow…boxed a few rounds。 He didnˇt even look good doing that。 He skipped the rope a little while。 He couldnˇt sweat。
¨Heˇd be better not to do any work at all；〃 Hogan said。 We were standing watching him skip rope。 ¨Donˇt he ever sweat at all any more？〃
¨He canˇt sweat。〃
¨Do you suppose heˇs got the con？ He never had any trouble making weight； did he？〃
¨No； he hasnˇt got any con。 He just hasnˇt got anything inside any more。〃
¨He ought to sweat；〃 said Hogan。
Jack came over； skipping the rope。 He was skipping up and down in front of us； forward and back； crossing his arms every third time。
¨Well；〃 he says。 ¨What are you buzzards talking about？〃
¨I donˇt think you ought to work any more；〃 Hogan says。 ¨Youˇll be stale。〃
¨Wouldnˇt that be awful？〃 Jack says and skips away down the floor； slapping the rope hard。
That afternoon John Collins showed up out at the farm。 Jack was up in his room。 John came out in a car from town。 He had a couple of friends with him。 The car stopped and they all got out。
¨Whereˇs Jack？〃 John asked me。
¨Up in his room； lying down。〃
¨Lying down？〃
¨Yes；〃 I said。
¨How is he？〃
I looked at the two fellows that were with John。
¨Theyˇre friends of his；〃 John said。
¨Heˇs pretty bad；〃 I said。
¨Whatˇs the matter with him？〃
¨He donˇt sleep。〃
¨Hell；〃 said John。 ¨That Irishman could never sleep。〃
¨He isnˇt right；〃 I said。
¨Hell；〃 John said。 ¨Heˇs never right。 Iˇve had him for ten years and heˇs never been right yet。〃
The fellows who were with him laughed。
¨I want you to shake hands with Mr。 Morgan and Mr。 Steinfelt；〃 John said。 ¨This is Mr。 Doyle。 Heˇs been training Jack。〃
¨Glad to meet you；〃 I said。
¨Letˇs go up and see the boy；〃 the fellow called Morgan said。
¨Letˇs have a look at him；〃 Steinfelt said。
We all went upstairs。
¨Whereˇs Hogan？〃 John asked。
¨Heˇs out in the barn with a couple of his customers；〃 I said。
¨He got many people out here now？〃 John asked。
¨Just two。〃
¨Pretty quiet； ainˇt it？〃 Morgan said。
¨Yes；〃 I said。 ¨Itˇs pretty quiet。〃
We were outside Jackˇs room。 John knocked on the door。 There wasnˇt an answer。
¨Maybe heˇs asleep；〃 I said。
¨What the hellˇs he sleeping in the daytime for？〃
John turned the handle and we all went in。 Jack was lying asleep on the bed。 He was face down and his face was in the pillow。 Both his arms were around the pillow。
¨Hey； Jack！〃 John said to him。
Jackˇs head moved a little on the pillow。 ¨Jack！〃 John says； leaning over him。 Jack just dug a little deeper in the pillow。 John touched him on the shoulder。 Jack sat up and looked at us。 He hadnˇt shaved and he was wearing an old sweater。
¨Christ！ Why c