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¨Youˇre crazy；〃 Roger said quietly。
¨You slob；〃 the man said across the space of water that separated the two boats the same way someone might speak insultingly to an animal in one of those modern zoos where no bars； but only pits； separate the visitors from the beasts。 ¨You phony。〃
¨He means me；〃 Frank said happily。 ¨Donˇt you know me？ Iˇm the swine。〃
¨I mean you；〃 the man pointed his finger at Roger。 ¨You phony。〃
¨Look；〃 Roger said to him。 ¨Youˇre not talking to me at all。 Youˇre just talking to be able to repeat back in New York what you said to me。〃
He spoke reasonably and patiently as though he really wanted the man to understand and shut up。
¨You slob；〃 the man shouted； working himself further and further into this hysteria he had even dressed up for。 ¨You rotten filthy phony。〃
¨Youˇre not talking to me；〃 Roger repeated to him very quietly now and Thomas Hudson saw that he had decided。 ¨So shut up now。 If you want to talk to me get up on the dock。〃
Roger started up for the dock and； oddly enough； the man came climbing up on the dock as fast as you please。 He had talked himself into it and worked himself up to it。 But he was doing it。 The Negroes fell back and then closed in around the two of them leaving plenty of room。
Thomas Hudson didnˇt know what the man expected to happen when he got up on the dock。 No one said anything and there were all those black faces around him and he took a swing at Roger and Roger hit him in the mouth with a left and his mouth started to bleed。 He swung at Roger again and Roger hooked him hard to the right eye twice。 He grabbed hold of Roger and Rogerˇs sweatshirt tore when he dug the man in the belly hard with his right and then pushed him away and slapped him hard across the face backhand with his open left hand。
None of the Negroes had said a word。 They just kept the two men surrounded and gave them plenty of room。 Someone； Tom thought it was Johnˇs boy Fred； had turned the dock lights on and you could see well。
Roger went after the man and hooked him three times fast to the head high up。 The man grabbed him and his sweatshirt tore again as he pushed him away and jabbed him twice in the mouth。
¨Cut out those lefts；〃 Frank yelled。 ¨Throw your right and cool the son of a bitch。 Cool him。〃
¨Got anything to say to me？〃 Roger said to the man and hooked him hard on the mouth。 The man was bleeding badly from the mouth and the whole right side of his face was coming up and his right eye was almost closed。
The man grabbed Roger and Roger held him inside and steadied him。 The man was breathing hard and he hadnˇt said anything。 Roger had a thumb on the inside of the manˇs two elbows and Tom could see him rubbing the thumbs back and forth over the tendons between the biceps and the forearms。
¨Donˇt you bleed on me； you son of a bitch；〃 Roger said； and brought his left hand up fast and loose and knocked the manˇs head back and then backhanded him across the face again。
¨You can get a new nose now；〃 he said。
¨Cool him； Roger。 Cool him；〃 Frank pled with him。
¨Canˇt you see what heˇs doing； you dope？〃 Fred Wilson said。 ¨Heˇs ruining him。〃
The man grabbed Roger and Roger held him and pushed him away。
¨Hit me；〃 he said。 ¨Come on。 Hit me。〃
The man swung at him and Roger ducked it and grabbed him。
¨Whatˇs your name？〃 he said to the man。
The man didnˇt answer。 All he did was breathe as though he were dying with asthma。
Roger was holding the man again with his thumbs pressing in on the inside of his elbows。 ¨Youˇre a strong son of a bitch；〃 he said to the man。 ¨Who the hell ever told you you could fight？〃
The man swung at him weakly and Roger grabbed him； pulled him forward； spun him a little； and clubbed him twice on the ear with the base of his right fist。
¨You think youˇve learned not to talk to people？〃 he asked the man。
¨Look at his ear；〃 Rupert said。 ¨Like a bunch of grapes。〃
Roger was holding the man again with his thumbs pushing in against the tendons at the base of the biceps。 Thomas Hudson was watching the manˇs face。 It had not been frightened at the start； just mean as a pigˇs is； a really mean boar。 But it was really completely frightened now。 He had probably never heard of fights that no one stopped。 Probably he thought in some part of his mind about the stories he had read where men were kicked to death if they went down。 He still tried to fight。 Each time Roger told him to hit him or pushed him away he tried to throw a punch。 He hadnˇt quit。
Roger pushed him away。 The man stood there and looked at him。 When Roger wasnˇt holding him in that way that made him feel absolutely helpless the fear drained away a little and the meanness came back。 He stood there frightened； badly hurt； his face destroyed； his mouth bleeding； and that ear looking like an overripe fig as the small individual hemorrhages united into one great swelling inside the skin。 As he stood there； Rogerˇs hands off him now； the fear drained and the indestructible meanness welled up。
¨Anything to say？〃 Roger asked him。
¨Slob；〃 the man said。 As he said it； he pulled his chin in and put his hands up and turned half away in a gesture an incorrigible child might make。
¨Now it comes；〃 Rupert shouted。 ¨Now itˇs going to roll。〃
But it was nothing dramatic nor scientific。 Roger stepped quickly over to where the man stood and raised his left shoulder and dropped his right fist down and swung it up so it smashed against the side of the manˇs head。 He went down on his hands and knees； his forehead resting on the dock。 He knelt there a little while with his forehead against the planking and then he went gently over on his side。 Roger looked at him and then came over to the edge of the dock and swung down into the cockpit。
The crew of the manˇs yacht were carrying him on board。 They had not intervened in what had happened on the dock and they had picked him up from where he lay on his side on the dock and carried him sagging heavily。 Some of the Negroes had helped them lower him down to the stern and take him below。 They shut the door after they took him in。
¨He ought to have a doctor；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨He didnˇt hit hard on the dock；〃 Roger said。 ¨I thought about the dock。〃
¨I donˇt think that last crack alongside the ear did him a lot of good；〃 Johnny Goodner said。
¨You ruined his face；〃 Frank said。 ¨And the ear。 I never saw an ear come up so fast。 First it was like a bunch of grapes and then it was as full as an orange。〃
¨Bare hands are a bad thing；〃 Roger said。 ¨People donˇt have any idea what theyˇll do。 I wish Iˇd never seen him。〃
¨Well； youˇll never see him again without being able to recognize him。〃
¨I hope heˇll come around；〃 Roger said。
¨It was a beautiful fight； Mr。 Roger；〃 Fred said。
¨Fight； hell；〃 Roger said。 ¨Why the hell did that have to happen？〃
¨The gentleman certainly brought it on himself；〃 Fred said。
¨Cut out worrying； will you？〃 Frank said to Roger。 ¨Iˇve seen hundreds of guys cooled and that guy is OK。〃
Up on the dock the boys were drifting away commenting