Alfred grins as he bounds up the stairs to Donatelli’s Gym. It looks much different than last night, as half-naked men and boys are “jumping and twisting and jerking around,” and the sounds of work are everywhere. Several things are familiar; he sees one boy punching the gray bag and another punching the peanut bag. Two Puerto Ricans are jabbing in front of the mirror, and two fighters are dancing and ducking in the ring.

A sign says the cost for amateurs to train is two dollars a week; the weekly fee for professionals is five dollars. Both are payable in advance. Alfred has two dollars in his wallet, but there is no one around to take it. He sees neither Henry nor Donatelli and considers leaving, but he knows he will never come back if he leaves now. Everyone here seems to know what they are supposed to do and Alfred is intimidated by their proficiency; he backs up to leave and bumps into a “chubby little man.”

The man is Doctor Corey, the dentist from downstairs; he is here today since one of Donatelli’s fighters has a match tonight. Corey encourages Alfred to stay and suggests he start by doing sit-ups. Alfred finds an empty corner of a mat; though he is not particularly welcomed by a red-headed boy named Red, he begins to do sit-ups. He has always been good at them, and he does them quickly; he learns he has been doing them wrong and someone shows him the correct way. Though it is strenuous and painful, Alfred does twenty of them before doing thirty-four push-ups.

Henry appears and tells Alfred it is okay for Alfred to pay when he can. Donatelli will not kick him out. Bud Martin is Donatelli’s assistant, a thin, wiry man with hard black eyes. Henry is helping Martin load a black satchel with supplies for tonight’s fight, including his special creation which stops bleeding and keeps cuts clean: Clarence Martin’s Magical Potion. He invented it forty-one years ago, and no one knows the exact recipe but him.

Red belligerently makes demands and orders Henry to get him things. When Martin has had enough of the boy’s attitude, he calmly tells Red that he needs to learn to be kind, like Joe Louis and Cassius Clay. Red makes another demand. Martin says his job is to show Red how to fight; Red will have to become a man on his own. This infuriates Red and he threatens to knock Martin’s teeth out—if he had any. Martin allows Red to throw a punch and quickly humiliates him. Red empties his locker and runs out of the gym. Martin warns everyone not to tell “the boss” about the incident, as everyone deserves a second chance, including Red.

Donatelli left a ticket for Alfred to tonight’s fight; he told Martin to bring Alfred if he came back to the gym so he could see what, exactly, he came back for.