Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 7, 1925 — page 131: what you’re looking at

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

HIS WEAR The stars went into executive session. Round the next. corner came Dutch Jones and most of his | gang. Between Tiger and Dutch, for divers good causes, there was an - enmity which usually — meant more than an exchange - of salutations wheneve the two met. the fact that the Jones gang exceeded his own by four men; the misgiving, lest you do him an injustice, being not eu of the probable affray, but because of what looked like an ee smirch | on his probation — record. That first epithet. hurled by Dutch would ordinarily have brought the Tiger to Dutch’s vicinity on the_ jump. clutched the Tiger’s arm. ‘“ What’s the use running into trouble?” he argued. “ They’s ve got fae more men than we fhave. = Mouths — agape, the gang listened to Slim, for the first time in his life, counsel against a mix-up. “Oh, all right,” Tiger accented after a blank moment of astonishment. He linked his arm in Slim’s and, followed by cee from the enemy, they sauntered on their way. The gang followed at their heels, trying to think up new taunts to toss back. Suddenly on the pavement in front of Tiger landed something more palpable than a taunt. into a thousand fragments with a report like a pistol shot. Other pop bottles fol- lowed, two of them in quick succession. And after the pop bottles, emboldened by Tiger’s steady retreat, came the Dutch Jones gang ‘ore bottles: swinging in their hands. witP Obviously it was no time fo think about what the probation officer might say. Out- side Murphy’s place some one had provi- dentially set a row of milk bottles, ready to hand. If Tiger happened to be first to seize one, Slim certainly was second. After that, Abe thing became confused. There were several bret but busy minutes of bedlam, of crashing glass, an occasional wild shot, and a plenitude of reflections, ex- changed by both sides at the top of their lungs, on the ancestry of the respective op- ponents and the immediate intentions of the respective- champions. = - Slim found himself engaged Ww ith a stal- wart Jonesite who, as he broke from Slim’s : Slim did not wait to inquire. Slim noted - -with- -misgiving — ae Slim looked up briskly for the next Slim ; hurt!” It was a pop bottle which burst - We can do everything: grasp, reached i a hip pocket. There may not have been a gun in the pocket, but upon the man and by a- dexterous twist | brought | him smashing to the ‘ground, break- r ing the enemy’s arm in the process. 3 There ‘was no more fight left in. that. fel- adversary , only to discover that the bat- tered remnant of the Dutch Jones gang was fleeing around a corner with Tiger Cos- tello ine ao pursuit The battle was over. : Almost at « once Tiger reappeared, walle ing. Slim ran up to him. “ Let’s duck, he advised; “ the cops Il be on our necks in a minute.” ‘Hysterical s screams from tenement win- ‘dows gave emphasis to this advice, and the street littered with glass from curb to curb underscored it. From far away came the thin, clear shriek of a police whistle. att Slim!” Tiger easped. _ Slim saw now that Tiger held both aoads to his. side, and even as he noticed this he caught the 00ze of blood between Costello’ s fingers. — — © Quick, boys!” Slim bouted: tf « Tiger's He tried to hold the ar who staggered back against a a and slid tothe ground. “He got me,” Tiger whispered as the rest came up. “Look after him,” Slim commanded, “while I telephone for an ambulance. vm be back—” eee Telephone and ‘then beat it,” advised Shorty Dimick, “ there’s no need for you to get Im wreng with the probationer. there is to do. Beat i HS For a moment Slim betel. The shriek of the police whistle came steadily nearer. People. were pouring from tenement houses and running toward the lamp- -post beneath which Tiger day huddled. “ Beat it, you fool! ” “ Get out while the gettin’s seed! E The g gang clamored at him. All right,” Slim- consented. ‘After all, he could do nothing ‘more. He ran around to the side do or of } Murphy’ s place, gained entrance by” the simple expedient of kick- ing the door i in, found the telephone } in the 601 ‘He leaped ——— comicboo S 3=cO