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¨Donˇt you want another； Jerry？〃 he said。 ¨Come on； drink along with me。〃
¨I donˇt need it； Jack；〃 I said。 ¨I feel all right。〃
¨Just have one more；〃 Jack said。 It was softening him up。
¨All right；〃 I said。
Jack poured one for me and another big one for himself。
¨You know；〃 he said； ¨I like liquor pretty well。 If I hadnˇt been boxing I would have drunk quite a lot。〃
¨Sure；〃 I said。
¨You know；〃 he said； ¨I missed a lot； boxing。〃
¨You made plenty of money。〃
¨Sure； thatˇs what Iˇm after。 You know I miss a lot； Jerry。〃
¨How do you mean？〃
¨Well；〃 he says； ¨like about the wife。 And being away from home so much。 It donˇt do my girls any good。 ˉWhose your old man？ˇ some of those society kidsˇll say to them。 ˉMy old manˇs Jack Brennan。ˇ That donˇt do them any good。〃
¨Hell；〃 I said； ¨all that makes a difference is if they got dough。〃
¨Well；〃 says Jack； ¨I got the dough for them all right。〃 He poured out another drink。 The bottle was about empty。
¨Put some water in it；〃 I said。 Jack poured in some water。
¨You know；〃 he says； ¨you ainˇt got any idea how I miss the wife。〃
¨Sure。〃
¨You ainˇt got any idea。 You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨It ought to be better out in the country than in town。〃
¨With me now；〃 Jack said； ¨it donˇt make any difference where I am。 You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨Have another drink。〃
¨Am I getting soused？ Do I talk funny？〃
¨Youˇre coming on all right。〃
¨You canˇt have an idea what itˇs like。 They ainˇt anybody can have an idea what itˇs like。〃
¨Except the wife；〃 I said。
¨She knows；〃 Jack said。 ¨She knows all right。 She knows。 You bet she knows。〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
¨Jerry；〃 says Jack； ¨you canˇt have an idea what it gets to be like。〃
He was good and drunk。 He was looking at me steady。 His eyes were sort of too steady。
¨Youˇll sleep all right；〃 I said。
¨Listen； Jerry；〃 Jack says。 ¨You want to make some money？ Get some money down on Walcott。〃
¨Yes？〃
¨Listen； Jerry。〃 Jack put down the glass。 ¨Iˇm not drunk now； see？ You know what Iˇm betting on him？ Fifty grand。〃
¨Thatˇs a lot of dough。〃
¨Fifty grand；〃 Jack says； ¨at two to one。 Iˇll get twenty…five thousand bucks。 Get some money on him； Jerry。〃
¨It sounds good；〃 I said。
¨How can I beat him？〃 Jack says。 ¨It ainˇt crooked。 How can I beat him？ Why not make money on it？〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
¨Iˇm through after this fight；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm through with it。 I got to take a beating。 Why shouldnˇt I make money on it？〃
¨Sure。〃
¨I ainˇt slept for a week；〃 Jack says。 ¨All night I lay awake and worry my can off。 I canˇt sleep； Jerry。 You ainˇt got an idea what itˇs like when you canˇt sleep。〃
¨Sure。〃
¨I canˇt sleep。 Thatˇs all。 I just canˇt sleep。 Whatˇs the use of taking care of yourself all these years when you canˇt sleep？〃
¨Itˇs bad。〃
¨You ainˇt got an idea what itˇs like； Jerry； when you canˇt sleep。〃
¨Put some water in that；〃 I said。
Well； about eleven oˇclock Jack passes out and I put him to bed。 Finally heˇs so he canˇt keep from sleeping。 I helped him get his clothes off and got him into bed。
¨Youˇll sleep all right； Jack；〃 I said。
¨Sure；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇll sleep now。〃
¨Good night； Jack；〃 I said。
¨Good night； Jerry；〃 Jack says。 ¨Youˇre the only friend I got。〃
¨Oh； hell；〃 I said。
¨Youˇre the only friend I got；〃 Jack says； ˉthe only friend I got。〃
¨Go to sleep；〃 I said。
¨Iˇll sleep；〃 Jack says。
Downstairs； Hogan was sitting at the desk in the office reading the papers。 He looked up。 ¨Well； you get your boy friend to sleep？〃 he asks。
¨Heˇs off。〃
¨Itˇs better for him than not sleeping；〃 Hogan said。
¨Sure。〃
¨Youˇd have a hell of a time explaining that to these sports writers though；〃 Hogan said。
¨Well； Iˇm going to bed myself；〃 I said。
¨Good night；〃 said Hogan。
In the morning I came downstairs about eight oˇclock and got some breakfast。 Hogan had his customers out in the barn doing exercises。 I went out and watched them。
¨One！ Two！ Three！ Four！〃 Hogan was counting for them。 ¨Hello； Jerry；〃 he said。 ¨Is Jack up yet？〃
¨No。 Heˇs still sleeping。〃
I went back to my room and packed up to go to town。 About nine…thirty I heard Jack getting up in the next room。 When I heard him go downstairs I went down after him。 Jack was sitting at the breakfast table。 Hogan had come in and was standing beside the table。
¨How do you feel； Jack？〃 I asked him。
¨Not so bad。〃
¨Sleep well？〃 Hogan asked。
¨I slept all right；〃 Jack said。 ¨I got a thick tongue but I ainˇt got a head。〃
¨Good；〃 said Hogan。 ¨That was good liquor。〃
¨Put it on the bill；〃 Jack says。
¨What time you want to go into town？〃 Hogan asked。
¨Before lunch；〃 Jack says。 ¨The eleven oˇclock train。〃
¨Sit down； Jerry；〃 Jack said。 Hogan went out。
I sat down at the table。 Jack was eating a grapefruit。 When heˇd find a seed heˇd spit it out in the spoon and dump it on the plate。
¨I guess I was pretty stewed last night；〃 he started。
¨You drank some liquor。〃
¨I guess I said a lot of fool things。〃
¨You werenˇt bad。〃
¨Whereˇs Hogan？〃 he asked。 He was through with the grape…fruit。
¨Heˇs out in front in the office。〃
¨What did I say about betting on the fight？〃 Jack asked。 He was holding the spoon and sort of poking at the grapefruit with it。
The girl came in with some ham and eggs and took away the grape…fruit。
¨Bring me another glass of milk；〃 Jack said to her。 She went out。
¨You said you had fifty grand on Walcott；〃 I said。
¨Thatˇs right；〃 Jack said。
¨Thatˇs a lot of money。〃
¨I donˇt feel too good about it；〃 Jack said。
¨Something might happen。〃
¨No；〃 Jack said。 ¨He wants the title bad。 Theyˇll be shooting with him all right。〃
¨You canˇt ever tell。〃
¨No。 He wants the title。 Itˇs worth a lot of money to him。
¨Fifty grand is a lot of money；〃 I said。
¨Itˇs business；〃 said Jack。 ¨I canˇt win。 You know I canˇt win anyway。〃
¨As long as youˇre in there you got a chance。〃
¨No；〃 Jack says。 ¨Iˇm all through。 Itˇs just business。〃
¨How do you feel？〃
¨Pretty good；〃 Jack said。 ¨The sleep was what I needed。〃
¨You might go good。〃
¨Iˇll give them a good show；〃 Jack said。
After breakfast Jack called up his wife on the long…distance。 He was inside the booth telephoning。
¨Thatˇs the first time heˇs called her up since heˇs out here；〃 Hogan said。
¨He writes her every day。〃
¨Sure；〃 Hogan says； ¨a letter only costs two cents。〃
Hogan said good…bye to us and Bruce； the nigger rubber； drove us down to the train in the cart。
¨Good…bye； Mr。 Brennan；〃 Bruce said at the train； ¨I sure hope you knock his can off。〃
¨So long；〃 Jack said。 He gave Bruce two dollars。 Bruce had worked on