Argosy All-Story Weekly, November 12, 1927 — page 25: what you’re looking at

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

SOMEWHERE IN NEVADA. amphitheater was rampant. That jostling cordon about him was as unconcerned with the outcome as if they had been watching a dog fight between two strange curs. Avid for thrills, they wanted to see it made a battle to the death, and would have angrily turned thumbs down on any attempt to stop it, or to succor either of the antago- nists, The dagger point was thrusting closer and closer to Mickey’s throat. The weight of Luigi’s pressing upon him felt like a ton. He knew that the grip of his fingers upon the fellow’s wrist was weakening. A cold despair seized him. In another moment— Then, just in the nick. of time, came a diversion. Ilsa Calder burst through the whooping, close-packed mob and, grabbing up the bottle which had been thrown so disastrously by Natushka, and which had fallen unbroken to the floor after striking Mickey, she began belaboring Luigi fiercely with it. Two or three men stepped out to stop her in the interest of so-called fair play; but they quickly desisted at an authorita- tive command from the sheriff. He had been standing at one side of the ring impassively watching the struggle, his hands resting idly on the butts of his heavy revolvers; but now he had both guns out, and his gray eyes flashed a challenge to any one who dared defy him. “Hands off, there!” he barked gruffly. “Tl put daylight through the fust man ’t lays a finger on her!”’ Then with a slight quizzical touch, he added: “She ain’t really makin’ no dif- ference nohow, gents, so fur as the merits of the contest is concerned.” | This was to a large extent true. She had neither the strength of arm nor the composure to wield her improvised weapon effectively. The blows she rained so fren- ziedly at Luigi landed for the most part on his padded shoulders where they did but little harm. Nevertheless, they served to distract and confuse him. Involuntarily he raised up and twitched away from them, instead of concentrating all his attention upon his adversary, and pressing home the advan- tage he held. 499 It gave Mickey a moment’s respite— long enough for the fogs to clear away from his brain and for him to regain his wind. Like magic, he snapped out of the numbed helplessness. that had lain upon him into a full control of all his facul- ties. And when Mickey was himself, fat, mushy Luigi was of course no sort of match for him. | Jerking up his knee, he drove the point of it into his opponent’s midriff with a force that brought a quivering yelp of pain from Luigi’s lips, and turned his face to a pasty yellow. At the same instant Mickey surged up with his shoulders to fling off the-other’s weight on him, and levering on his hips, rolled Luigi over and brought himself on top. An easy matter then to slam the arm which had menaced him with the stiletto over to the floor, and as it lay outstretched to twist the weapon out of Luigi’s fingers. With that, the battle was over; and Mickey, rising to his feet, began non- chalantly brushing off his clothes. The crowd plainly showed its disappoint- ment. They wanted to see Mickey cave in the ribs of his worsted foe, knock out his teeth, and pound and stamp him into a jelly, just as a minute or two before they had wanted to see Luigi stab Mickey into the semblance of a Swiss cheese. They felt cheated of their proper entertainment. ‘“Whyn’t you smear him?” they booed. ‘“What’s the matter with you? Too proud to fight?” | ‘““ Sorry, gentlemen.” Mickey grinned at them. “ But I’ve just spent six dollars on a wash-up, and I can’t afford to dirty my hands any further on vermin like that. Here, you!” He snapped the slender blade of the stiletto in two and disdainfully cast the pieces down to Luigi, who was still writhing on the floor from the effects of that knee jolt to the solar plexus. ‘“ Take your little frog-sticker and beat it before I change my mind and give you the hiding you deserve. ‘““And remember,” he called, as Luigi, prompt to take the hint, scuttled wavering- ly toward the front door, “if you ever try COPNICLOOO KS (E@)