Miss Amelia and Marvin Macy had not yet shown themselves. Miss Amelia, after resting all afternoon on the office bench, had gone upstairs. Oher hand Cousin Lymon was at your elbow every mihreading his way through the crowd, snapping his fingers nervously, and batting his eyes. At one mio seven oclock he squirmed his way into the café and climbed up on the ter. All was very quiet.
It must have been arranged in some manner beforehand. For just at the stroke of seven Miss Amelia showed herself at the head of the stairs. At the same instant Marvin Macy appeared in front of the café and the ade way for him silently. They walked toward each other with no haste, their fists already gripped, and their eyes like the eyes of dreamers. Miss Amelia had ged her red dress for her old overalls, and they were rolled up to the kness. She was barefooted and she had an iron strengthband around her right wrist. Marvin Macy had also rolled his trs -- he was o the waist and heavily greased; he wore the heavy shoes that had been issued him when he left the peiary. Stumpy MacPhail stepped forward from the crowd and slapped their hip pockets with the palm of his right hand to make sure there would be no sudden khen they were alone in the cleared ter of the bright café.
There was no signal, but they both struck out simultaneously. Both blows landed on the , so that the heads of Miss Amelia and Marvin Macy bobbed bad they were left a little groggy. For a few seds after the first blows they merely shuffled their feet around on the bare floor, experimenting with various positions, and making mock fists. Then, like wildcats, they were suddenly on each other. There was the sound of knocks, panting, and thumpings on the floor. They were so fast that it was hard to take in what was going on -- but once Miss Amelia was hurled backward so that she staggered and almost fell, and aime Marvin Macy caught a kno the shoulder that spun him around like a top. So the fight went on in this wild violent way with no sign of weakening oher side.
During a struggle like this, when the enemies are as quid strong as these two, it is worth-while to turn from the fusion of the fight itself and observe the spectators. The people had flattened back as close as possible against the walls. Stumpy MacPhail was in a er, crouched over and with his fists tight in sympathy, making strange noises. Poor Merlie Ryan had his mouth so wide open that a fly buzzed into it, and was swallowed before Merlie realized what had happened. And Cousin Lymon -- he was worth watg. The hunchback still stood on the ter, so that he was raised up above everyone else in the café. He had his hands on his hips, his big head thrust forward, and his little legs bent so that the knees jutted outward. The excitement had made him break out in a rash, and his pale mouth shivered.
Perhaps it was half an hour before the course of the fight shifted. Hundreds of blows had been exged, and there was still a deadlock. Then suddenly Marvin Macy mao catch hold of Miss Amelias left arm and pinion it behind her back. She struggled and got a grasp around his waist; the real fight was now begun. Wrestling is the natural way of fighting in this ty -- as boxing is too quid requires much thinking and tration. And now that Miss Amelia and Marvin were locked in a hold together the crowd came out of its daze and pressed in closer. For a while the fighters grappled muscle to muscle, their hipbones braced against each ot