pgw.psmith,journalist-第14部分

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at's　is　the　biggest。　But　the　smallest　of　them's　large　enough　to　put　us　away；　if　we　give　them　the　chance。〃
　〃I　don't　quite　grasp　the　nice　points　of　this　matter。　Do　you　mean　that　we　have　an　entire　gang　on　our　trail　in　one　solid　mass；　or　will　it　be　merely　a　section？〃
　〃Well；　a　section；　I　guess；　if　it　es　to　that。　Parker；　or　whoever　fixed　this　thing　up；　would　go　to　the　main　boss　of　the　gang。　If　it　was　the　Three　Points；　he'd　go　to　Spider　Reilly。　If　it　was　the　Table　Hill　lot；　he'd　look　up　Dude　Dawson。　And　so　on。〃
　〃And　what　then？〃
　〃And　then　the　boss　would　talk　it　over　with　his　own　special　partners。　Every　gang…leader　has　about　a　dozen　of　them。　A　sort　of　Inner　Circle。　They'd　fix　it　up　among　themselves。　The　rest　of　the　gang　wouldn't　know　anything　about　it。　The　fewer　in　the　game；　you　see；　the　fewer　to　split　up　the　dollars。〃
　〃I　see。　Then　things　are　not　so　black。　All　we　have　to　do　is　to　look　out　for　about　a　dozen　hooligans　with　a　natural　dignity　in　their　bearing；　the　result　of　intimacy　with　the　main　boss。　Carefully　eluding　these　aristocrats；　we　shall　win　through。　I　fancy；　rade　Windsor；　that　all　may　yet　be　well。　What　steps　do　you　propose　to　take　by　way　of　self…defence？〃
　〃Keep　out　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　and　not　go　off　the　Broadway　after　dark。　You're　pretty　safe　on　Broadway。　There's　too　much　light　for　them　there。〃
　〃Now　that　our　sleuth…hound　friend　in　the　taximeter　has　ascertained　your　address；　shall　you　change　it？〃
　〃It　wouldn't　do　any　good。　They'd　soon　find　where　I'd　gone　to。　How　about　yours？〃
　〃I　fancy　I　shall　be　tolerably　all　right。　A　particularly　massive　policeman　is　on　duty　at　my　very　doors。　So　much　for　our　private　lives。　But　what　of　the　day…time？　Suppose　these　sandbag…specialists　drop　in　at　the　office　during　business　hours。　Will　rade　Maloney's　frank　and　manly　statement　that　we　are　not　in　be　sufficient　to　keep　them　out？　I　doubt　it。　All　unused　to　the　nice　conventions　of　polite　society；　these　rugged　persons　will　charge　through。　In　such　circumstances　good　work　will　be　hard　to　achieve。　Your　literary　man　must　have　plete　quiet　if　he　is　to　give　the　public　of　his　best。　But　stay。　An　idea！〃
　〃Well？〃
　〃rade　Brady。　The　Peerless　Kid。　The　man　Cosy　Moments　is　running　for　the　light…weight　championship。　We　are　his　pugilistic　sponsors。　You　may　say　that　it　is　entirely　owing　to　our　efforts　that　he　has　obtained　this　match　withwho　exactly　is　the　gentleman　rade　Brady　fights　at　the　Highfield　Club　on　Friday　night？〃
　〃Cyclone　Al。　Wolmann；　isn't　it？〃
　〃You　are　right。　As　I　was　saying；　but　for　us　the　privilege　of　smiting　rade　Cyclone　Al。　Wolmann　under　the　fifth　rib　on　Friday　night　would　almost　certainly　have　been　denied　to　him。〃
　It　almost　seemed　as　if　he　were　right。　From　the　moment　the　paper　had　taken　up　his　cause；　Kid　Brady's　star　had　undoubtedly　been　in　the　ascendant。　People　began　to　talk　about　him　as　a　likely　man。　Edgren；　in　the　Evening　World；　had　a　paragraph　about　his　chances　for　the　light…weight　title。　Tad；　in　the　Journal；　drew　a　picture　of　him。　Finally；　the　management　of　the　Highfield　Club　had　signed　him　for　a　ten…round　bout　with　Mr。　Wolmann。　There　were；　therefore；　reasons　why　Cosy　Moments　should　feel　a　claim　on　the　Kid's　services。
　〃He　should；〃　continued　Psmith；　〃if　equipped　in　any　degree　with　finer　feelings；　be　bubbling　over　with　gratitude　towards　us。　'But　for　Cosy　Moments；'　he　should　be　saying　to　himself；　'where　should　I　be？　Among　the　also…rans。'　I　imagine　that　he　will　do　any　little　thing　we　care　to　ask　of　him。　I　suggest　that　we　approach　rade　Brady；　explain　the　facts　of　the　case；　and　offer　him　at　a　fortable　salary　the　post　of　fighting…editor　of　Cosy　Moments。　His　duties　will　be　to　sit　in　the　room　opening　out　of　ours；　girded　as　to　the　loins　and　full　of　martial　spirit；　and　apply　some　of　those　half…scissor　hooks　of　his　to　the　persons　of　any　who　overe　the　opposition　of　rade　Maloney。　We；　meanwhile；　will　enjoy　that　leisure　and　freedom　from　interruption　which　is　so　essential　to　the　artist。〃
　〃It's　not　a　bad　idea；〃　said　Billy。
　〃It　is　about　the　soundest　idea；〃　said　Psmith；　〃that　has　ever　been　struck。　One　of　your　newspaper　friends　shall　supply　us　with　tickets；　and　Friday　night　shall　see　us　at　the　Highfield。〃
　
　CHAPTER　XIV
　THE　HIGHFIELD
　
　FAR　up　at　the　other　end　of　the　island；　on　the　banks　of　the　Harlem　River；　there　stands　the　old　warehouse　which　modern　progress　has　converted　into　the　Highfield　Athletic　and　Gymnastic　Club。　The　imagination；　stimulated　by　the　title；　conjures　up　a　sort　of　National　Sporting　Club；　with　pictures　on　the　walls；　padding　on　the　chairs；　and　a　sea　of　white　shirt…fronts　from　roof　to　floor。　But　the　Highfield　differs　in　some　respects　from　this　fancy　picture。　Indeed；　it　would　be　hard　to　find　a　respect　in　which　it　does　not　differ。　But　these　names　are　so　misleading。　The　title　under　which　the　Highfield　used　to　be　known　till　a　few　years　back　was　〃Swifty　Bob's。〃　It　was　a　good；　honest　title。　You　knew　what　to　expect；　and　if　you　attended　seances　at　Swifty　Bob's　you　left　your　gold　watch　and　your　little　savings　at　home。　But　a　wave　of　anti…pugilistic　feeling　swept　over　the　New　York　authorities。　Promoters　of　boxing　contests　found　themselves；　to　their　acute　disgust；　raided　by　the　police。　The　industry　began　to　languish。　People　avoided　places　where　at　any　moment　the　festivities　might　be　marred　by　an　inrush　of　large　men　in　blue　uniforms　armed　with　locust…sticks。
　And　then　some　big…brained　person　suggested　the　club　idea；　which　stands　alone　as　an　example　of　American　dry　humour。　There　are　now　no　boxing　contests　in　New　York。　Swifty　Bob　and　his　fellows　would　be　shocked　at　the　idea　of　such　a　thing。　All　that　happens　now　is　exhibition　sparring　bouts　between　members　of　the　club。　It　is　true　that　next　day　the　papers　very　tactlessly　report　the　friendly　exhibition　spar　as　if　it　had　been　quite　a　serious　affair；　but　that　is　not　the　fault　of　Swifty　Bob。
　Kid　Brady；　the　chosen　of　Cosy　Moments；　was　billed　for　a　〃ten…round　exhibition　contest；〃　to　be　the　main　event　of　the　evening's　entertainment。　No　decisions　are　permitted　at　these　clubs。　Unless　a　regrettable　accident　occurs；　and　one　of　the　sparrers　is　knocked　out；　the　verdict　is　left　to　the　newspapers　next　day。　It　is　not　unmon　to　find　a　man　win　easily　in　the　World；　draw　in　the　American；　and　be　badly　beaten　in　the　Evening　Mail。　The　system　leads　to　a　certain　amount　of　confusion；　but　it　has　the　merit　of　offering　consolation　to　a　much…smitten　warrior。
　The　best　method　of　getting　to　the　Highfield　is　by　the　Subway。　To　see　the　Subway　in　its　most　characteristic　mood　one　must　travel　on　it　during　the　rush…hour；　when　its　patrons　are　packed　into　the　carriages　in　one　solid　jam　by　muscular　guards　and　policemen；　shoving　in　a　manner　reminiscent　of　a　Rugby　football　scrum。　When　Psmith　and　Billy　entered　it　on　the　Friday　evening；　it　was　paratively　empty。　All　the　seats　were　occupied；　but　only　a　few　of　the　straps　and　hardly　any　of　the　space　reserved　by　law　for　the　conductor　alone。
　Conversation　on　the　Subway　is　impossible。　The　ingenious　gentlemen　who　constructed　it　started　with　the　object　of　making　it　noisy。　Not　ordinarily　noisy；　like　a　ton　of　coal　falling　on　to　a　sheet　of　tin；　but　really　noisy。　So　they　fashioned　the　pillars　of　thin　steel；　and　the　sleepers　of　thin　wood；　and　loosened　all　the　nuts；　and　now　a　Subway　train　in　motion　suggests　a　prolonged　dynamite　explosion　blended　with　the　voice　of　some　great　cataract。
　Psmith；　forced　into　temporary　silence　by　this　bination　of　noises；　started　to　make　up　for　lost　time　on　arriving　in　the　street　once　more。
　〃A　thoroughly　unpleasant　neighbourhood；〃　he　said；　critically　surveying　the　dark　streets。　〃I　fear　me；　rade　Windsor；　that　we　have　been　somewhat　rash　in　venturing　as　far　into　the　middle　west　as　this。　If　ever　there　was　a　blighted　locality　where　low…browed　desperadoes　might　be　expected　to　spring　with　whoops　of　joy　from　every　corner；　this　blighted　locality　is　that　blighted　locality。　But　we　must　carry　on。　In　which　direction；　should　you　say；　does　this　arena　lie？〃
　It　had　begun　to　rain　as　they　left　Billy's　lodgings。　Psmith　turned　up　the　collar　of　his　Burberry。
　〃We　suffer　much　in　the　cause　of　Literature；〃　he　said。　〃Let　us　inquire　of　this　genial　soul　if　he　knows　where　the　Highfield　is。〃
　The　pedestrian　referred　to　proved　to　be　going　there　himself。　They　went　on　together；　Psmith　courteously　offering　views　on　the　weather　and　forecasts　of　the　success　of　Kid　Brady　in　the　approaching　contest。
　Rattling　on；　he　was　alluding　to　the　prominent　part　Cosy　Moments　had　played　in　the　affair；　when　a　rough　thrust　from　Windsor's　elbow　brought　home　to　him　his　indiscretion。
　He　stopped　suddenly；　wishing　he　had　not　said　as　much。　Their　connection　with　that　militant　journal　was　not　a　thing　even　to　be　suggested　to　casual　acquaintances；　especially　in　such　a　particularly　ill…lighted　neighbourhood　as　that　through　which　they　were　now　passing。
　Their　panion；　however；　who　seemed　to　be　a　man　of　small　speech；　made　no　ment。　Psmith　deftly　turned　the　conversation　back　to　the　subject　of　the　weather；　and　was　deep　in　a　parison　of　the　respective　climates　of　England　and　the　United　States；　when　they　turned　a　corner　and　found　themselves　opposite　a　gloomy；　barn…like　building；　over　the　door　of　which　it　was　just　possible　to　decipher　in　the　darkness　the　words　〃Highfield　Athletic　and　Gymnastic　Club。