Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 150: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

940 around the table which had been between them. Allison was not more than four feet from him. Seagrave suddenly swung his body around and leaped, all in one move- ment. His fist shot out and crashed into Alli- son’s face. He saw a spurt of blood from Allison’s mouth. He struck out again with more precision, and caught Allison on the point of the jaw. Ajllison flopped down. Seagrave wheeled about to face Miller and Brown. A glance showed him that Rad- cliffe had retreated to the door. There he stood, fearing to flee, fascinated by the scene. Seagrave saw that Miller would not shoot. He hadn’t brute courage enough to brave the electric chair, but he had clubbed his gun, and it was a dangerous weapon. It was the more dangerous because Mil- ler stood back and let Brown bear the brunt of the attack. Seagrave understood that Miller was going to wait till he could bring his gun down on Seagrave’s head while Seagrave struggled with Brown. The odds were all against Seagrave, for Horton was still in reserve. He had bent over Allison and was helping him into a chair. “Get in on this, Radcliffe,” Seagrave shouted, as he closed with the muscular Brown. But Radcliffe refused to get in. He just stood there by the door, his staring eyes fixed on the struggling men. Seagrave could have borne Brown _back- ward, but he was afraid to do it. That would bring him close to Miller, and Miller was waiting with his gun poised. He had to let Brown bear him back. He succeed- ed, however, in getting his fingers into Brown’s throat, and he sank them deep and shook Brown’s head from side to side in his great rage. Allison was reviving and he raised dull eyes to the two men. ‘“ Shoot him, Miller!” he gasped. “ Shoot him, I tell you! What are you waiting for? Can’t you see that he’s choking Brown?” He managed to get to his feet and he staggered around the two men and gained Miller’s side. He tried to snatch the gun from Miller’s hand. Miller pushed him ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. away, and he was too dazed to struggle for the weapon. “Don’t be a chump,” Miller said. “A shot would rouse the whole building. If this racket keeps up it ‘ll be roused any- way. Keep back, Allison. You’re only in- terfering with me. You're only gumming things up.” “Get him, then,” Allison said hoarsely. “Get him. The police will be on top of us first thing we know.” Seagrave and Brown had struggled to the wall. Brown was flailing out with his fists, but Seagrave’s fingers still dug into his throat. Brown’s tongue was protruding and his face was purple. Miller ran to them, pushing the entreat- ing Allison aside. Seagrave saw him com- ing, suddenly let go his hold of Brown, and leaped for Miller. He dodged the clubbed gun and his fist shot into Miller’s stomach. Miller uttered a grunt and the gun came down. But there was no speed behind the blow, and Seagrave dodged it. He knocked Miller down with a blow to the jaw, a companion blow to the one with which he had felled Allison. Seagrave stood a moment then, breathing hard. His heart was thumping dully in his breast and he had a moment of dizziness. But he shook his head to clear it as if he had suddenly come up from beneath water. His clearing gaze showed him Allison ad- vancing on him. He tensed his muscles to spring joyfully on Allison, but he did not spring. Behind him Horton dealt him a terrific blow on the head with a blackjack which he had taken from his pocket. Seagrave’s arms dropped to his sides as if his fists were lead. His head jerked back in a reflex from the blow. As he began to sink to the fioor he wondered why Horton did not strike him again. He lay on the floor with closed eyes,- barely conscious. He could feel his mus- cles twitch. Then he was aware that he was being picked up and borne to the dav- enport at the side of the room. “Finished him?” Allison asked; and Seagrave could feel his breath on his face. “Well, you wanted him killed,” he heard Comicbooks (CO) AA