Argosy, Vol. 147, No. 1 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

it he uld be on all fours; the next oul d ere t himself and sway with a fous grace that was almost hyp- e never knew whether it was due signa’ from. the negress or the prompt- 3s of brute cunning, but upon one of the la’s downward swings he suddenly hed forward and grasped one of the adventurous ruffians by the ankle. It t have been purely imagination, but ought he traced the flicker of a in as the brute arose and the dull he man’s head was heard against INE L | conceivable reach of that simian s then in evidence. In ever-widen- x circles the victim was being swung over head until the frenzied beast finally as if released from a catapult, the attering-ram shot through the air, inanimate object, over the heads he breathless spectators, a distance of ‘fiftee a feet, where it dropped to the - near the table at which the juggling the better direct his fol- had climbed to the table top and xing the most sulphuric curses he body of the sailor rolled against of the table he unsheathed the 1 knife at his belt, and a second eft his hand—a flash of light he room—and plunged into the Ider of the gorilla. brute did not seem to notice owever, with the negress. Had ily blade been driven into her own jody she could not have uttered a . Cr’ o ' * withdrew the knife from the —_- , it was uttered by Joie but emphasized this had arrived. The big negress had evidently surrendered—at least in spirit, for the mo- ment—and if the hardy crew of villains intended to effect her capture they knew that their time had arrived. The gorilla had introduced a new form of frollicking playfulness, if such it was. He had a peculiar trick of slapping his paws against the floor, and the negress saw it. Whatever train of African thought it aroused in her, one thing was certain—she lavished a glance of crude affection upon the great hairy brute and then faced the mob that was sweeping toward the plat- form. Once more the spirit of battle waged within her, and what followed was in reality the supreme incident in a night of riot and blood. A word from the negress—that was all— and the gorilla had leaped to the platform and was at her side. ‘True, it might have been the herculean strength of the giantess alone that was responsible for the success of her plan, but the gorilla certainly gave of his clumsy strength; for between them they had tipped up the old-fashioned square piano and shoved it, or hurled it, straight into the crowd of sailors beneath them. There was an awful moment of crash and curses; a period of indescribable confusion, during which the juggling sailor had secured another long-bladed knife from one of his companions. It twirled above his head for a moment, then left his hand a glint of murderous steel, and plunged to the hilt in the throat of the gorilla. “ This way, quick!” shouted a voice be- hind Bruce. It was Joie the Jug, and his head and shoulders were protruding from the trap- door opening. CHAPTER VII. DOWN IN THE Pit. MID the surroundings the call was like an invitation to plunge into a cavity of hell—a message from Satan’s own emissary—and the croaking tones in which | pears W\ hag <=. a ae. “eye A> : +e ey fn a ee Oe, ee Sez pan! ha ae le 2 fet ty ate ~ comicbooks.com es A i ¢ —*) -