Gladiator Philip Wylie

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To be alone.
Is that a hint? Lefty entered the room. They want you over at the bonfire. We ve
been looking all over for you.
All right. I ll go. But, honest to God, I ve had enough of this business for today.
Lefty slapped Hugo s shoulders. The great must pay for their celebrity. Come on,
you sap.
All right.
What s the matter? Anything the matter?
No. Nothing s the matter. Only it s sort of sad to be Hugo checked himself.
Sad? Good God, man, you re going stale.
Maybe that s it. Hugo had a sudden fancy. Do you suppose I could be let out of
next week s game?
What for? My God
Hugo pursued the idea. It s the last game. I can sit on the lines. You fellows all play
good ball. You can probably win. If you can t then I ll play. If you only knew, Lefty, how
tired I get sometimes
Tired! Why don t you say something about it? You can lay off practice for three or
four days.
Not that. Tired in the head, not the body. Tired of crashing through and always
getting away with it. Oh, I m not conceited. But I know they can t stop me. You know it. It s
a gift of mine and a curse. How about it? Let s start next week without me.
The night ended at last. A new day came. The bell on Webster Hall stopped booming.
Woodie, the coach, came to see Hugo between classes. Lefty says you want us to start
without you next week. What s the big idea?
I don t know. I thought the other birds would like a shot at Yale without me. They
can do it.
Mr. Woodman eyed his player. That s pretty generous of you, Hugo. Is there any
other reason?
Not that I can explain.
I see. The coach offered Hugo a cigarette after he had helped himself. Take it. It ll
do you good.
Thanks.
Listen, Hugo. I want to ask you a question. But, first, I want you to promise you ll
give me a plain answer.
I ll try.
That won t do.
Well I can t promise.
Woodman sighed. I ll ask it anyway. You can answer or not just as you wish. He
was silent. He inhaled his cigarette and blew the smoke through his nostrils. His eyes rested
on Hugo with an expression of intense interest, beneath which was a softer light of something
not unlike sympathy. I ll have to tell you something, first, Hugo. When you went away last
summer, I took a trip to Colorado.
Hugo started, and Woodman continued: To Indian Creek. I met your father and your
mother. I told them that I knew you. I did my best to gain their confidence. You see, Hugo,
I ve watched you with a more skillful eye than most people. I ve seen you do things, a few
little things, that weren t well that weren t
Hugo s throat was dry. Natural?
That s the best word, I guess. You were never like my other boys, in any case. So I
thought I d find out what I could. I must admit that my efforts with your father were a failure.
Aside from the fact that he is an able biology teacher and that he had a number of queer
theories years ago, I learned nothing. But I did find out what those theories were. Do you
want me to stop?
A peculiar, almost hopeful expression was on Hugo s face. No, he answered.
Well, they had to do with the biochemistry of cellular structure, didn t they? And
with the production of energy in cells? And then I talked to lots of people. I heard about
Samson.
Samson! Hugo echoed, as if the dead had spoken.
Samson the cat.
Hugo was as pale as chalk. His eyes burned darkly. He felt that his universe was
slipping from beneath him. You know, then, he said.
I don t know, Hugo. I merely guessed. I was going to ask. Now I shall not. Perhaps I
do know. But I had another question, son
Yes? Hugo looked at Woodman and felt then the reason for his success as a coach,
as a leader and master of youth. He understood it.
Well, I wondered if you thought it was worth while to talk to your father and
discover
What he did? Hugo suggested hoarsely.
Woodman put his hand on Hugo s knee. What he did, son. You ought to know by
this time what it means. I ve been watching you. I don t want your head to swell, but you re a
great boy, Hugo. Not only in beef. You have a brain and an imagination and a sense of moral
responsibility. You ll come out better than the rest you would even without your your
particular talent. And I thought you might think that the rest of humanity would profit
Hugo jumped to his feet. No. A thousand times no. For the love of Christ no! You
don t know or understand, you can t conceive, Woodie, what it means to have it. You don t
have the faintest idea of its amount what it tempts you with what they did to me and I did
to myself to beat it if I have beaten it. He laughed. Listen, Woodie. Anything I want is
mine. Anything I desire I can take. No one can hinder. And sometimes I sweat all night for
fear some day I shall lose my temper. There s a desire in me to break and destroy and wreck
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