Argosy, Vol. 117, No. 2 — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

. 236 ventured in to his death if there had not come another interruption at this moment. A yell of defiance caused him to wheel and charge with his swerd toward the opposite side of the tower of neck. The man whom he had seen creeping out of ‘the statue had mounted to the raised shoulder and was defying him. In the mo- ment he comprehended this Fortune saw that his new foe was croeked-backed, which gave him that peculiar dwarfed appearance he had noted before. The crooked-backed man waited his com- ing confidently, brandishing his arms and yelling taunts until they were almost face to face, then he deliberately stepped back from the wide shoulder and cast himself over the declivity. The suddenness of his disappearance made Fortune gasp. Had he thrown him- self to destruction? He bent forward to peer over and saw that the other had merely slid, face down, along one of the metal - troughs that represented folded drapery. Then two mighty hands pinned his arms to his sides. He was picked up, as helpless as a child, and turned around until his face pressed against the giant’s coarse cloth shirt. He had been caught by a trick! A moment he suffocated in the folds of the cloth, his feet barely touching the metal platform, and he realized that, tall as he was, he came no higher than his captor’s heart. With all his might Fortune kicked at the pillarlike legs, but because his feet were clad in soft leather his kicks were as innocuous as a child’s struggles. Then he was lifted higher, and the great arms extended him in the air for inspection. There was a look of stupid good nature on his gigantic captor’s face. Like some huge dog pawing at the wasp that has an- noyed him, he seemed more puzzled and amused than resentful. Yet immediately Fortune knew his death was close. “What did I say?” shouted the big man exultantly. “ Now the old spider’s got you, my wasp. You'll sting no more! We have no need of such poisonous vermin here, so—” Terrible, swift action completed the sentence. Fortune was swept high in the air, kicking and writhing impotently, With THE ARGOSY. a great rush he felt himself poised, his face to the sky, while the arms that held him slowly drew back and stiffened to hurl him into eternity. He closed his eyes. His senses reeled. “So!” boomed the great man. “ Shard!” A woman spoke sharply, as one would address a deg. Fortune sensed a sudden hesitation in the other’s purpose. “Shard! Put him down. Put him down; you hear me?” ““Go back—go back, Mary, ” the giant muttered. “ This is not for your eyes—”’ “ Put that man down!” The woman’s command fairly crackled with will power. kortune was lowered gently until once more ‘his feet touched the metal plates. “ There,” the voice went on, although he could not see the speaker because of the position in which he was held. ‘‘ There, we'll have no more murders.” “ But, Mary—dear Mary, listen, this the man?” “Yes, it’s the man.” ‘ THe attacked you!” exclaimed the giant. _“* And you did well to catch him, but let us have law here among the comrades. Are we Wild Folk, to kill this way! The law will take his life. Let him wait for a fair trial; we need not wait long for that.” “ Better to kill him now and have done,” grumbled the other, but he turned about, wheeling Fortune with him, and carried his captive through the door into the statue The woman had stepped back to let them pass. Fortune’s eyes for a second met the wonderful gray eyes of the girl of the isle, but reading in them only contempt, he snatched his glance elsewhere. Propelled by Shard’s great hands he stumbled down interminable flights of the winding metal stair, through the gloom. As they came opposite one of the holes in the ruin there was a shout and the face of the crooked-backed man peered in. “ Got him, eh?” he shouted. “* Aye, Tringe—but she won’t let me kill him. Says he’s to have a trial!” Tringe swung himself through the hole and stood before Fortune, inspecting him critically. He looked like a gnome in that pale light, head thrust forward from his isn’t CORMICLOO© cS) (E@)