Argosy All-Story Weekly, July 11, 1925 — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

THE INNOCENT. his balance. He was glowering, sobbing with rage and pain. The battling Steve saw the look in the man’s face. Suddenly the ranchman realized that this struggle—start- ing mainly as an accident, brought about by the pique of disappointed crooks—was like- ly to become demoniac. Wild with desperation, assailed by a pushing, jostling, smashing crowd which surged up the steps and shoved him backward, he longed for the revolver in the vase; but the vase was far away on its table near the door, mock- ing him with the demure beauty of its lus- trous but indifferent colors. The telephone rang. “Forget it!” yelled somebody. him!” _ “Be reasonable!” panted Steve. ‘ Cut this out!” The telephone rang again. It kept ring- ing. A fist drove in to Steve’s waist, making him wince. A leaping fellow, flanking him from the left side, forced him to huddle against the banisters and hammer side- ways. He couldn’t knock the man through the wall, so every blow made the fellow rebound. The giant was ambling up the steps now. The battle light was in his eyes. The fran- tic Steve, battered and bruised, fighting with mouth open and eyes glassy through sheer violence of effort, was urged to a swifter pace. He kneed a man trying to tackle him around the waist. He slammed the man at the wall, forcing him off center and shoving him downward. The third fel- low was elbowed away. For an instant Steve was free. Suddenly he leaped up three steps, long- ing for a weapon. His hand touched the banister. Inspiration made him grab it with both hands. He pulled while the yelling, snarling mass clawed at him. The banister stuck. He pulled again, testing every mus- cle of his body. The banister cracked, split at an unsuspected joint, and fell overside before he could get a good hold. A line of square wooden rails stood up starkly from the steps. He grabbed a rail. He swung it wildly upon a bobbing head. | ‘“He’s lickin’ us!” yelled the tall fel- low. “< Get 223 “T’ll settle ’im!’’ promised the giant. He pulled up rails, one by one, yanking them out of their sockets as he walked up the steps. He hurled his first fistful at Steve, over the heads of the others; and then, coming close with three of them in his hands, he battered down upon the ranch- man’s head like a feudal warrior slamming away with a sword. Steve’s defensive wand splintered under the onslaught. His right arm numbed. The powerful triplicate club beat without mercy. His head wabbled, bowed down, bowed low; and still the fu- rious blows rained upon him until the stairs leaped at his face and circled under and over him, and he pitched sideways off the lower steps to the floor, seeing many fire- works. Queer pains assailed the ranchman; queer impressions flitted across his disor- dered’ brain. Lights and shadows joined with the ringing of his ears to annoy him. He lay blinking stupidly until he was aware of a swaying sensation and ascer- tained that a big foot was rolling him to and fro. Not kicking; merely rolling. He strove to elevate himself, but noticed that his whole right side was numb. He sank back. “She mingled with the wrong people!” he groaned. “You had it comin’!” retorted the tall fellow as he came into Steve’s blurred vis- ion. “‘ We dunno what you’ve done to us, mister; but whatever it is, we’re even.” “Forget him,” growled Big Mike. * Search the house.” Two of the men followed his truculent lead. The third stayed near Steve, who lay still for a long, long time, trying to classify some of the pains which chased through his body. At last he began to notice his com- panion’s soft, monotonous footfalls on the polished floor of the anteroom. Steve man- aged to turn his neck. The other feliow stood near the piano, stuffing a priceless miniature into his pocket and then rolling up a mag- nificent black-gray-gold brocade. “Hey!” jeered Steve painfully. “ Why don’t you give the other fellows a chance?”’ The man jumped and cast a guilty look toward the doorway. Then he grinned. - “Quit kiddin’! They’ll get theirs all ‘Ss. cComichboo com