The American Gun Mystery (Death At the Rodeo)
- Автор: Куин (Квин) Эллери
- Серия: Ellery Queen #6
- Год: 1933
- Язык: английский
- Год: Frederick A. Stokes Company
- Жанр: Классические детективы
Электронная книга - «The American Gun Mystery (Death At the Rodeo)». Краткое содержание книги:
“Well I hope the gentleman gets his money’s worth tut tut I didn’t mean that for seriously folks this looks like one humdinger of a scrap eight minutes to go you know this is the championship heavyweight battle between Tommy Black challenger and Champion Jack Harker for those of you who tuned in late being broad cast by courtesy of the Broadcasting Company on an international network much excitement around here but can learn very little if anything ha ha... Oh it’s just two of the lads making love to each other no seriously folks it’s the main preliminary going on hear that gong that’s the bell for the thirteenth round of the scheduled fifteen-round bout between George Dickens the Georgia Black Boy and Battling Ben Riley of Boston and a good set-to it is too believe you me fast all the way with Riley having a shade the better of it excuse me a moment please can’t see much of what’s going on or hear either there’s so much yelling you’d think this was the Democratic National Convention ha ha...
“Ringside tonight is glittering with the nobility beg pardon the bluebloods you’d think this was opening night at the Metropolitan the ladies are out in all their glory and lavallieres is that the way you pronounce it Paree... who’s that I see why yes there’s the lovely Mara Gay famous screen star the Orchid of Hollywood you know looking lovely as ever by the side of Julian Hunter the well-known society man and Broadway club-owner her husband at ringside... Gorgeous Mara’s rooting for Tommy Black tonight I’ll bet he’s a California boy you know... and there’s old Tony Mars himself right next to the Hunters old Tony Mars most famous sports promoter in this little old world who built this magnificent temple of sports you know... and yes there’s Wild Bill Grant the old-time fightin’ deputy of the West with his son Curly and Miss Kit Horne the well-known Western movie star and... excuse me a minute folks (Bill who’s that tall young fellow next to Miss Horne fellow with the pince-nez eyeglasses and the sharp face oh thanks) and there’s Mr. Ellery Queen of the Centre Street Queens looks like the police department is well represented tonight because I see good old Commissioner Welles on the other side of the ring talking to Chief Inspector Klein and...
“According to the official announcement after the boys weighed in this afternoon Black tipped the scales at one ninety-two and the champion weighed...”
“They’re coming into the ring hear that terrific uproar that’s the champ the good old champ himself Jack Harker coming into the ring bundled up in his famous old striped bathrobe with his manager Johnny Aldrich and his handlers Jack’s looking fine tonight his face is deeply tanned and a little drawn trained up to the minute he’s freshly shaved you know that’s a superstition of his and yes there’s Tommy Black there’s Tommy Black coming and what an ovation he’s getting ladies and gentlemen of the radio audience what an ovation... do you hear that thunder that’s just the crowd roaring for Tommy ha ha... he’s a popular boy looks fit as a fiddle he’s wearing a new black satin robe and his bandaged hands look like two hunks of steel you know the betting has been funny on this fight at the last minute the odds on the challenger to win came down and now I understand they’re quoting even money... wait wait wait there’s old Jim Steinke ready to make an announcement...
“Well folks it’s all set the boys are in the center of the ring taking their final instructions from the referee Henry Sumpter old Henry the Eagle-Eye they call him you know yes they just touched gloves... both boys look confident... Tommy looks especially so even though he’s scowling he looks more and more like the old Mauler every day you know he even weaves in the famous Dempsey style and he packs a punch they say almost as hard as—
“There’s the gong the seconds are out of the ring Tommy comesoutfirstfightinghardhe’slikeaflashthereitgoesleftt’ thejawrighttotheheartandcoverup... nothing important or serious Jack’s smiling they’re dancing around the champ hasn’t struck a blow yet they’re feeling each other out Tommy makes another lunge... Therehe goeslikelightninglikelightning... two lefts to the chin like a pile driver Jack made a face at those they hurt although he seems all right... wow what a fighter that Tommy Black is the champ still hasn’t landed a blow... therehegoeswithaterrificrighttoTommy’shead which would have meant curtains had it landed... but it didn’t Tommy’s head just wasn’t there and...
“Ooooo! Wait a minute wait a minute there’s... Ooooo! ladies and gentlemen Tommy Black just landed eight straight lefts in a row to the Champ’s chin and topped it off with a vicious short right hook to Jack’s jaw on the button on the button Jack’s groggy his knees are buckling... he’s covering up he’s hanging on... the referee is trying to separate the two boys Tommy is willing enough he looks like a killer now but the champ’s hanging on like a leech... they’re apart they’re sparring Tommy’s teeth are showing in a snarling grin he won’t stop he rushes in cool and murderous and there... Yes! another left and a right and a left and a right and a left and...
“Jack’sdownhe’sdown!... two three four five six seven he’s trying to get up eight ni... he’s up in a crouch dancing away Tommy’s after him the referee Henry Sumpter is following closely and...
“OOOF the champ’s down again hear that terrific noise that’s the crowd they’re going crazy... five six seven eight nine... TEN! He’soutandthere’sanew heavyweightchampionoftheworldtheworld... ladies and gentlemen a new heavyweight champion is crowned in the most sensational one-round knockout in the history of the ring and...
“Tommy Tommy boy come here and say a few words into the microphone! TOMMY!”
It was an auspicious beginning for a new round of events. They improved as they succeeded each other. Ellery, to whom the brutality of the prize-ring meant little except a faintly disgusting exhibition of savagery, had kept his attention more on his companions than upon the gladiators in the ring. And so he alone of the hundreds pressed closely around the ring saw the bitter scowl of Julian Hunter, the cold calculating glint in Tony Mars’s eye, and the ecstatic and hoydenish frenzy on the beautiful face of Mara Gay when the champion lay twitching on the canvas and Tommy Black, indeed murderous and cool — as the garrulous announcer had pronounced him — danced up and down in a neutral corner, never taking his tigrish eyes off his opponent’s prone body.
He hung around. There was something to hang around for. With his genius for capitalizing a situation, Tony Mars immediately after the first clamor died down, announced that he was “throwin’ a big party” for the successful fighter at the Club Mara that very night. Perhaps the fact that a threatened double-cross, in which for the benet of the gamblers Tommy Black was to throw the fight to the champion, had been averted, moved Mars to this lavish display, for he was a notoriously careful man where money was concerned, although generous at impulsive moments; at any rate, it was to be open house. Representatives of press associations, well-known sporting editors, promoters, the Grants, Kit Horne, the entire rodeo troupe (who had been present in the wildly excited flesh at the battle) — all were invited.
Midnight found the Club Mara in the grip of a strange ecstasy. The doors were closed. The immense room was festooned with flowers and trophies of the prize-ring. Mars, cold and cordial as of old, presided. Liquor flowed freely. At the central table, like a muscular Silenus, sat Tommy Black, smiling, unruffled, unmarked, in evening clothes that were moulded like plaster to his big body.