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than a dozen with dogs. They had not seen the video of Matty taking apart a junkyard dog, as the Fig had. But from the new configuration of the pit, they knew something big was planned. The old fourfoot-high plywood walls had been replaced by a quarter-inch steel bar cage ten-feet square and seven-feet high. The review area told them nothing. Just their own dogs in a row of cages. A couple throwaways for warmup. But rumor buzzed that the Fig had gotten hold of timber wolves or maybe some big zoo cats. |
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The first four events took less than an hour and a half. Muzzy watched Chopper against Frenchy DeRoche's two-year-old bull named Arnie. Chopper lost most of his left ear and Arnie had to be dragged off with a rope. Of the six other bulls, two were so badly mauled that they ended up in the dumpster. |
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The main event was scheduled to begin immediately after the last dogs. But the Fig kept them waiting until nearly ten. He had read someplace that Harry Houdini always showed up late to peak the audience's anticipation, so that when he finally walked out on stage, the place went wild. By ten the twenty-seven men around the cage were more than ready. They hollered and stamped their feet. When it appeared that he could no longer contain them, the Fig, with a love for drama, suddenly killed the lights from the switch at the rear door. A grumbling dismay charged the audience. |
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"Hey, Fig," someone yelled, "this better be good or I'm going in there with you." |
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Which broke the place up. |
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The noise was suddenly cut by Fig's voice over the PA. "Gentlemen, I give you Kid Kong." |
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The lights went on and Matthew stood hunched in the middle of the cage, naked and furred. When he saw the men, he roared and shook the cage with his hands. |
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Somebody called out, "What is it?" |
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The question of the moment. |
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Jerry stood outside the cage door, beaming. |
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Over the PA the Fig announced that Kid Kong was being conferenced with his own prize Rottweiler, Jake, 110 pounds of compact fury that had never lost a match. The winner would take on Jerry Mars's Rufus. |
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The odds on each were announced and the betting slips were |
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