"Wotcher waiting for? Buggar off! The nerve of some o' these geezers!"

epub or mobi

Ginsberg and Kagaranias had a ringside view of the fight. They experienced no sense of danger, although a cut-throat razor, thrown loose in the struggle, came flying over and landed on Kaggy's lap. The fight was no general scrimmage, but an intimate, exclusive affair between specialists. Although some customers drew back and stood by the wall, and a few left the cafe, Kaggy merely looked on with disapproval and Ginsberg almost without interest. He had seen so many of these fights in the West End. They were like specimens from a sociological case-book. The management had swiftly telephoned the police. There was no point in attempting themselves to cope with the situation. The toughs knew they had only a few minutes in which to damage each other. One man already lay unconscious beneath a table, his head surrounded by smashed tea-pots, plates, and cups. It was Joey who had indeed taken his life into his hands by going bust in the all-night cafe. But then, he had been drunk and had always been known as Crazy Joe.