He had never fought in New York but he made a fine stir in his own town and its environments; a volunteer brass band composed of a cornet, a trombone, and drum-and-cymbals went around to fight clubs ...

After all, Loughran was counting on the breaks. Or rather he was counting on there being no breaks, and that his own easy, graceful way of counter-fighting would ward off Sharkey’s nervous ferocity.