“He will be here,” Bart declared. “You know he has promised a sensation, but I’m afraid he failed in securing the evidence he needs.”
Tang!—the gong sounded.
Burk and Jackson advanced to shake hands.
Then it was that Frank came hustling into the room, looking flushed but triumphant. Hurrying to the ringside, he turned to the spectators and cried:
“This match must be stopped five minutes! I have something to tell you before it goes on!”
There was a murmur of astonishment and disapproval. The audience, their nerves tingling with the desire to see the boxers go at each other, were angered by the interruption.
“You can tell it afterward,” cried a voice.
“No!” came firmly from Frank. “It must be told now, for it concerns this match. I know you all want to see fair play—with a very few exceptions. I tell you now that there is a job here, and I can prove it! This match is fixed!”
What a stir that created! For some moments it seemed that there would be a riot, but the excited spectators cooled down at last, although a dozen voices demanded the proof.
In the ring Hank Burk and Tom Jackson looked at each other in a startled way, while Wallace Hegner’s face grew pale.