I 10 
THE VINDEX. 
punished. How could he make Louise 
change her mind? She certainly said he 
didn’t have money enough ; and if he managed 
to get a rise would she marry him? Why, of 
course. Just then a little voice whispered, 
perhaps you are not the only one in love with 
her. Possibly her heart may be given to that 
little Jennings. Jimmie smiled as he thought 
of Jennings ; a little two-for-a-cent, five-foot 
sawed-off. Just about one mouthful. No it 
couldn’' Timings. 
Jitnn ,c ; wrapped in his thoughts, had 
walked quite a way up the street, and at last 
his oblivion was pierced by the hoarse voice 
shouting out the following information to the 
passers-by. 
‘‘Step up, ladies an’ gents, step up and 
see Nazro, the T^r’ble Turk, champion 
wrestler of the world. mds here ready 
to challenge all comers for a purse of $1,000. 
If the loser succeeds in winning one round 
in three he shall have one-fourth of the gate 
receipts. Step up, ladies and gents, only ten 
cents to see Nazro, etc.” 
Thinking to pass away the time Jimmie 
paid ten cents and walked into the tent. 
Inside there were some chairs on a sawdust 
floor and a platform, covered with matresses, 
on which sat the redoutable Nazro. He was 
a man, swarthy in complexion, six feet tall, 
with broad shoulders and atremendously deep 
chest, clad in tights, every movement showing 
his bulging, knotted muscles. Idly Jimmie 
fell to comparing himself with the wrestler. 
Jimmie was slightly taller, his shoulders not 
so broad, though his chest was nearly as deep ; 
there was, however, a wrestless activity 
about him that was not apparent in Nazro, 
who seemed to be like an immovable pillar of 
stone. All of a sudden this thought flashed 
through Jimmie’s brain. “Why shouldn’t I 
accept this challenge? I've wrestled a good 
deal in Boston, and the experience would be 
useful to me. I don’t cane much about livin’ 
now, anyway, and a lickin’ would do me a 
world of good. And then if I should win, 
the money would — for Louise — I never 
thought of it. Yes I will try it.” 
With this intention in view he strolled up 
to the “barker,” and said : 
“Hey, Boss, I’m willin’ ’ter take up that 
challenge but I’ve got ter fight terday. Can 
yer fix it?” 
The “barker” was silent for a moment 
eyed Jimmie thoughtfully for a moment and 
said at length: 
“I tell yer. I’ve got ter speak to Nazro 
about it. If he says ‘all right’, all right it’ll 
be.” 
Then he walked into the tent and after a 
few minutes conference he came out again, 
and nodding to Jimmie, shouted to the crowd. 
“The challenge has been taken up by a 
celebrated Boston wrestler and the contest 
wiil take place here at three. Admission 
75 c.” 
Then the “barker” turned to Jimmie and 
told him to be there at half past two sharp 
and to be sure to bring clothes to wrestle in. 
At three o’clock the tent was jammed to 
suffocation with an aggregation of sports, 
toughs, and a sprinkling of women. Sud- 
denly a curtain back of the platform was 
pulled aside, and Nazro and Jimmie appeared 
clad in wrappers. The barker who acted as 
referee and umpire stepped to the front of 
the platform and said : 
“Gentlemen, we are gathered here to see 
two of the most famous wrestlers in the 
world, (here Jimmie and Nazro bowed grace- 
fully) meet in terrible struggle. There are to 
be two rounds, each round lasting until one 
of the two is thrown ; in case of each man’s 
winning a round there will be a third to 
decide the contest. Gentlemen, Nazro, the 
terrible Turk, and Mr. Hardruff.” 
At this Nazro and Jimmie, throwing off 
their wrappers, stood before the audience 
clothed in tights and advanced to the middle 
of the platform and shook hands. Then 
they backed away from each other and be- 
gan to circle around, bending forward and 
