'look Up And He's Got Your Money'

" Leonard had Benitez on the ropes but wasn't really doing much damage. The corner lights went on. I jumped and spread my arms—'Seventy-five thousand! How sweet it is!'

"Four seconds later the referee stopped the fight. A TKO and Leonard 's the champ. I couldn't believe it. A good referee, too—Carlos Padilla."

What'd Billy do then? he was asked.

Billy shrugged. "Nothing, really. I sat there for a while. I moaned a little. It's the gambler's life. You win some, you lose some. But I never had a worse loss."

A middle-aged man with soaked red eyes and a doughy middle that strained the buttons of his plaid shirt appeared at the table. He had a restless, flicking gaze, and he hovered over Baxter.

"Aren't you Billy Baxter?" the man said.

Baxter looked up apprehensively. "Yeah, what can I do for you?"

"You don't remember me, but you broke me in a gin-rummy game in Augusta, Georgia , 15 years ago."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Me 'n' my brother came in there, and you broke us, and we had to wire for money to get back to Texas . My brother went on home, but I took what they sent me and played you again. You broke me again."