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At　the　same　moment　he　drew　his　foot　back　to　kick　the　other　in

the　face。　Watson　blocked　the　kick　with　his　crossed　arms　and

sprang　to　his　feet　so　quickly　that　he　was　in　a　clinch　with　his

antagonist　before　the　latter　could　strike。　Holding　him；　Watson

spoke　to　the　onlookers：



〃Take　him　away　from　me；　fellows。　You　see　I　am　not　striking　him。

I　don't　want　to　fight。　I　want　to　get　out　of　here。〃



The　circle　did　not　move　nor　speak。　Its　silence　was　ominous　and

sent　a　chill　to　Watson's　heart。



Patsy　made　an　effort　to　throw　him；　which　culminated　in　his

putting　Patsy　on　his　back。　Tearing　loose　from　him；　Watson

sprang　to　his　feet　and　made　for　the　door。　But　the　circle　of　men

was　interposed　a　wall。　He　noticed　the　white；　pasty　faces；　the

kind　that　never　see　the　sun；　and　knew　that　the　men　who　barred

his　way　were　the　nightprowlers　and　preying　beasts　of　the　city

jungle。　By　them　he　was　thrust　back　upon　the　pursuing；

bull…rushing　Patsy。



Again　it　was　a　clinch；　in　which；　in　momentary　safety；　Watson

appealed　to　the　gang。　And　again　his　words　fell　on　deaf　ears。

Then　it　was　that　he　knew　of　many　similar　knew　fear。　For　he　had

known　of　many　similar　situations；　in　low　dens　like　this；　when

solitary　men　were　man…handled；　their　ribs　and　features　caved

in；　themselves　beaten　and　kicked　to　death。　And　he　knew；

further；　that　if　he　were　to　escape　he　must　neither　strike　his

assailant　nor　any　of　the　men　who　opposed　him。



Yet　in　him　was　righteous　indignation。　Under　no　circumstances

could　seven　to　one　be　fair。　Also；　he　was　angry；　and　there

stirred　in　him　the　fighting　beast　that　is　in　all　men。　But　he

remembered　his　wife　and　children；　his　unfinished　book；　the　ten

thousand　rolling　acres　of　the　up…country　ranch　he　loved　so

well。　He　even　saw　in　flashing　visions　the　blue　of　the　sky；　the

golden　sun　pouring　down　on　his　flower…spangled　meadows；　the

lazy　cattle　knee…deep　in　the　brooks；　and　the　flash　of　trout　in

the　riffles。　Life　was　good…too　good　for　him　to　risk　it　for　a

moment's　sway　of　the　beast。　In　short；　Carter　Watson　was　cool

and　scared。



His　opponent；　locked　by　his　masterly　clinch；　was　striving　to

throw　him。　Again　Watson　put　him　on　the　floor；　broke　away；　and

was　thrust　back　by　the　pasty…faced　circle　to　duck　Patsy's

swinging　right　and　effect　another　clinch。　This　happened　many

times。　And　Watson　grew　even　cooler；　while　the　baffled　Patsy；

unable　to　inflict　punishment；　raged　wildly　and　more　wildly。　He

took　to　batting　with　his　head　in　the　clinches。　The　first　time；

he　landed　his　forehead　flush　on　Watson's　nose。　After　that；　the

latter；　in　the　clinches；　buried　his　face　in　Patsy's　breast。　But

the　enraged　Patsy　batted　on；　striking　his　own　eye　and　nose　and

cheek　on　the　top　of　the　other's　head。　The　more　he　was　thus

injured；　the　more　and　the　harder　did　Patsy　bat。



This　one…sided　contest　continued　for　twelve　or　fifteen　minutes。

Watson　never　struck　a　blow；　and　strove　only　to　escape。

Sometimes；　in　the　free　moments；　circling　about　among　the　tables

as　he　tried　to　win　the　door；　the　pasty…faced　men　gripped　his

coat…tails　and　flung　him　back　at　the　swinging　right　of　the

on…rushing　Patsy。　Time　upon　time；　and　times　without　end；　he

clinched　and　put　Patsy　on　his　back；　each　time　first　whirling

him　around　and　putting　him　down　in　the　direction　of　the　door

and　gaining　toward　that　goal　by　the　length　of　the　fall。



In　the　end；　hatless；　disheveled；　with　streaming　nose　and　one

eye　closed；　Watson　won　to　the　sidewalk　and　into　the　arms　of　a

policeman。



〃Arrest　that　man；〃　Watson　panted。



〃Hello；　Patsy；〃　said　the　policeman。　〃What's　the　mix…up？〃



〃Hello；　Charley；〃　was　the　answer。　〃This　guy　comes　in〃　



〃Arrest　that　man；　officer；〃　Watson　repeated。



〃G'wan！　Beat　it！〃　said　Patsy。



〃Beat　it！〃　added　the　policeman。　〃If　you　don't；　I'll　pull　you

in。〃



〃Not　unless　you　arrest　that　man。　He　has　committed　a　violent　and

unprovoked　assault　on　me。〃



〃Is　it　so；　Patsy？〃　was　the　officer's　query。



〃Nah。　Lemme　tell　you；　Charley；　an'　I　got　the　witnesses　to　prove

it；　so　help　me　God。　I　was　settin'　in　me　kitchen　eatin'　a　bowl

of　soup；　when　this　guy　comes　in　an'　gets　gay　wid　me。　I　never

seen　him　in　me　born　days　before。　He　was　drunk〃



〃Look　at　me；　officer；〃　protested　the　indignant　sociologist。　〃Am

I　drunk？〃



The　officer　looked　at　him　with　sullen；　menacing　eyes　and　nodded

to　Patsy　to　continue。



〃This　guy　gets　gay　wid　me。　'I'm　Tim　McGrath；'　says　he；　'an'　I

can　do　the　like　to　you；'　says　he。　'Put　up　yer　hands。'　I　smiles；

an'　wid　that；　biff　biff；　he　lands　me　twice　an'　spills　me　soup。

Look　at　me　eye。　I'm　fair　murdered。〃



〃What　are　you　going　to　do；　officer？〃　Watson　demanded。



〃Go　on；　beat　it；〃　was　the　answer；　〃or　I'll　pull　you　sure。〃



The　civic　righteousness　of　Carter　Watson　flamed　up。



〃Mr。　Officer；　I　protest〃



But　at　that　moment　the　policeman　grabbed　his　arm　with　a　savage

jerk　that　nearly　overthrew　him。



〃Come　on；　you're　pulled。〃



〃Arrest　him；　too；〃　Watson　demanded。



〃Nix　on　that　play；〃　was　the　reply。



〃What　did　you　assault　him　for；　him　a　peacefully　eatin'　his

soup？〃



II



Carter　Watson　was　genuinely　angry。　Not　only　had　he　been

wantonly　assaulted；　badly　battered；　and　arrested；　but　the

morning　papers　without　exception　came　out　with　lurid　accounts

of　his　drunken　brawl　with　the　proprietor　of　the　notorious

Vendome。　Not　one　accurate　or　truthful　line　was　published。　Patsy

Horan　and　his　satellites　described　the　battle　in　detail。　The

one　incontestable　thing　was　that　Carter　Watson　had　been　drunk。

Thrice　he　had　been　thrown　out　of　the　place　and　into　the　gutter；

and　thrice　he　had　come　back；　breathing　blood　and　fire　and

announcing　that　he　was　going　to　clean　out　the　place。　〃EMINENT

SOCIOLOGIST　JAGGED　AND　JUGGED；〃　was　the　first　head…line　he

read；　on　the　front　page；　accompanied　by　a　large　portrait　of

himself。　Other　headlines　were：　〃CARTER　WATSON　ASPIRED　TO

CHAMPIONSHIP　HONORS〃；　〃CARTER　WATSON　GETS　HIS〃；　〃NOTED

SOCIOLOGIST　ATTEMPTS　TO　CLEAN　OUT　A　TENDERLOIN　CAFE〃；　and

〃CARTER　WATSON　KNOCKED　OUT　BY　PATSY　HORAN　IN　THREE　ROUNDS。〃



At　the　police　court；　next　morning；　under　bail；　appeared　Carter

Watson　to　answer　the　complaint　of　the　People　Versus　Carter

Watson；　for　the　latter's　assault　and　battery　on　one　Patsy

Horan。　But　first；　the　Prosecuting　Attorney；　who　was　paid　to

prosecute　all　offenders　against　the　People；　drew　him　aside　and

talked　with　him　privately。



〃Why　not　let　it　drop！〃　said　the　Prosecuting　Attorney。　〃I　tell

you　what　you　do；　Mr。　Watson：　Shake　hands　with　Mr。　Horan　and

make　it　up；　and　we'll　drop　the　case　right　here。　A　word　to　the

Judge；　and　the　case　against　you　will　be　dismissed。〃



〃But　I　don't　want　it　dismissed；〃　was　the　answer。　〃Your　office

being　what　it　is；　you　should　be　prosecuting　me　instead　of

asking　me　to　make　up　with　thisthis　fellow。〃



〃Oh；　I'll　prosecute　you　all　right；〃　retorted　the　Prosecuting

Attorney。



〃Also　you　will　have　to　prosecute　this　Patsy　Horan；〃　Watson

advised；　〃for　I　shall　now　have　him　arrested　for　assault　and

battery。〃



〃You'd　better　shake　and　make　up；〃　the　Prosecuting　Attorney

repeated；　and　this　time　there　was　almost　a　threat　in　his　voice。



The　trials　of　both　men　were　set　for　a　week　later；　on　the　same

morning；　in　Police　Judge　Witberg's　court。



〃You　have　no　chance；〃　Watson　was　told　by　an　old　friend　of　his

boyhood；　the　retired　manager　of　the　biggest　paper　in　the　city。

〃Everybody　knows　you　were　beaten　up　by　this　man。　His　reputation

is　most　unsavory。　But　it　won't　help　you　in　the　least。　Both

cases　will　be　dismissed。　This　will　be　because　you　are　you。　Any

ordinary　man　would　be　convicted。〃



〃But　I　do　not　understand；〃　objected　the　perplexed　sociologist。

〃Without　warning　I　was　attacked　by　this　man；　and　badly　beaten。

I　did　not　strike　a　blow。　I〃



〃That　has　nothing　to　do　with　it；〃　the　other　cut　him　off。



〃Then　what　is　there　that　has　anything　to　do　with　it？〃



〃I'll　tell　you。　You　are　now　up　against　the　local　police　and

political　machine。　Who　are　you？　You　are　not　even　a　legal

resident　in　this　town。　You　live　up　in　the　country。　You　haven't

a　vote　of　your　own　here。　Much　less　do　you　swing　any　votes。　This

dive　proprietor　swings　a　string　of　votes　in　his　precinctsa

mighty　long　string。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　tell　me　that　this　Judge　Witberg　will　violate

the　sacredness　of　his　office　and　oath　by　letting　this　brute

off？〃　Watson　demanded。



〃Watch　him；〃　was　the　grim　reply。　〃Oh；　he'll　do　it　nicely

enough。　He　will　give　an　extra…legal；　extra…judicial　decision；

abounding　in　every　word　in　the　dictionary　that　stands　for

fairness　and　right。〃



〃But　there　are　the　newspapers；〃　Watson　cried。



〃They　are　not　fighting　the　administration　at　present。　They'll

give　it　to　you　hard。　You　see　what　they　have　already　done　to

you。〃



〃Then　these　snips　of　boys　on　the　police　detail　won't　write　the

truth？〃



〃They　will　write　something　so　near　like　the　truth　that　the

public　will　believe　it。　They　write　their　stories　under

instruction；　you　know。　They　have　their　orders　to　twist　and

color；　and　there　won't　be　much　left　of　you　when　they　get　done。

Better　drop　the　whole　thing　right　now。　You　are　in　bad。〃



〃But　the　trials　are　set。〃



〃Give　the　word　and　they'll　drop　them　now。　A　man　can't　fight　a

machine　unless　he　has　a　machine　behind　him。〃



III



But　Carter　Watson　was　stubborn。　He　was　convinced　that　the

machine　would　beat　him；　but　all　his　days　he　had　sought　social

experience；　and　this　was　certainly　something　new。



The　morning　of　the　trial　the　Prosecuting　Attorney　made　another

attempt　to　patch　up　the　affair。



〃If　you　feel　that　way；　I　should　like　to　get　a　lawyer　to

prosecute　the　case；〃　said　Watson。



〃No；　you　don't；〃　said　the　Prosecuting　Attorney。　〃I　am　paid　by

the　People　to　prosecute；　and　prosecute　I　will。　But　let　me　tell

you。　You　have　no　chance。　We　shall　lump　both　cases　into　one；　and

you　watch　out。〃



Judge　Witberg　looked　good　to