The Argosy, April 1912 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

138 THE physical odds in Sim Galt’s favor. He would have fought two such giants as the big hunter just then. It has been remarked already that what- ever Carl Steiner’s failings, cowardice was not one of them. So he replied stoutly: “JT won’t get out till I know who owns this quarry.” “Oh, yer won't?” With a bellow Sim hurled himself upon the defiant Steiner. His obvious purpose was to force him through the opening in the wall, but the smaller man had braced him- self so firmly that, instead of his being pro- pelled toward the exit, he was only slightly shaken by the onslaught. “Oh, I guess not!” he sneered. Then he grappled desperately and sank his chin into Sim Galt’s chest. His two large hands, sinewy and hard from long labor in the glass-house, closed around the hunter’s arms just above the elbows, ren- dering Sim’s immense strength temporarily of no avail. At the first note of combat Fred Bar- rington and Professor Shaw rushed forward together. ‘They were obeying the instinct of savagery inherited from prehistoric an- cestors, which impels most men who witness a fight to try to get into it forthwith. But the impulse was only momentary. As quickly as they had advanced they drew back to let the contestants fight it out in their own way. “Tt’s just man to man,” observed Fred, with a shrug. “TY wouldn’t know which side to take, anyhow,” declared the professor, smiling. Carl Steiner’s sturdy attitude caused the duel to be a draw for a few seconds. Then Sim Galt slowly forced the other’s head backward with his chest, until it seemed as if the neck would crack. “Well Steiner, have you had enough?” he demanded. The reply was a howl of vindictiveness, as the old man wriggled away with a rapid twist and jumped on the hunter’s back. Like lightning one steel-sinewed arm slipped around Galt’s neck, the forearm pressed viciously against his throat. It was that most effective mode of attack which the French call “La garrotte.” Continued for a very short time, it will reduce to help- lessness any man, no matter how strong and full of fight he may be at the beginning. But it was not permitted to last in this instance. Muscular and active as Steiner ward Sim Galt. ARGOSY. had shown himself to be, he was no match for the tall, wiry hunter. By main strength the man of the mountain pulled his an- tagonist around to the front of him. This relieved the pressure on his throat imme- diately. Then, with a mighty effort, he hurled Steiner flat upon his back at the other side of the pit. Stunned by the heavy fall, Steiner lay still while one might count ten. As he came to himself he turned his bloodshot eyes in the direction of the hunter, and snarled like a wild beast. He was insane, inarticulate, and blind with fury. He could see only red! He rose to his feet slowly, muttering to himself. Then, with hands extended and fingers hooked like talons, he lurched to- literally to tear the life out of his foe. “Come on, you—you rat/” invited Galt, a scornful grin seaming his leathery face. “Come on an’ I'll crumple yer up in my fingers.” The eyes of the maddened glass-maker rolled in their sockets, seeking a weapon. Instinct, rather than reason, told him he could not hope to vanquish with his bare hands the big man before him. He must have something else—some murderous im- plement which, with his strength behind it, would kill! Several short cudgels, like odd bits of iron gaspipe, lay on the ground at one side. With a yell of ferocious satisfaction, such as might come from a hungry bulldog, he pounced upon one of them, and returned, foaming, to the attack. As he flourished his strange weapon, like a fencer seeking an opening, Sim Galt shouted in terror: “Put that down, ye crazy fool! It’s a stick of dynamite!” “ Just what I thought it was,” ejaculated Propessor Shaw. “Come on, Barrington!” The professor was a big man, but his agility would have done credit to any light- weight athlete in the world as he bolted into the rift in the wall. Fred Barring- ton was not far behind. He knew that an explosion of dynamite in the narrow con- fines of the pit would loosen about every- thing in the neighborhood. Sim Galt would have run, too, only that Steiner was between him and the only exit. The glass-maker seemed not to have heard Sim’s warning. Full of the lust for kill- ing, he heeded nothing that might stand in his way. cComicoool. It looked as if he meant . CO