Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 34: what you’re looking at

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

36 THE METAL MONSTER another stumbled over him, fell. The rush was checked for an instant, ‘milling upon the road. “Dick,” I cried, “rush Ruth over to the tunnel mouth. We'll follow. We’can hold them there. I’ll get Martin. Chiu-Ming, after the pony, uick.” : a , I pushed the two over the rim of the hollow. Side by sidé the China- man and I ran back through the gateway: I pointed to the animal, and rushed back into the fortress. | | “Quick, Mart!” I shouted up the ‘shattered stairway. “We can get through the hollow. Ruth and Drake are on their way to the break we came through. Hurry!” “All right. Just a minute,” he called. I heard him empty his magazine with almost machine-gun quickness. There was a short pause, and down the broken steps he leaped, gray eyes blazing. “The pony?” He ran beside me toward the portal. “All my ammuni- tion is on him.” “Chiu-Ming’s taking care of that,” I gasped. | We darted out of the gateway. A good five hundred yards away were Ruth and Drake, running straight to the green tunnel’s mouth. Between them and us was Chiu-Ming urging on the pony. As we sped after him I looked back. The horsemen had recovered, were now a scant half-mile from where the road swept past the fortress. I saw that with their swords the horsemen bore great bows. A little cloud of arrows sparkled from them; fell far short. “Don’t look back,” grunted Ventnor. “Stretch yourself, Walter. There’s a surprise coming. Hope to God I judged the time right.” We turned off the ruined way; raced over the sward. “Té it looks as though—we can’t make it,” he panted, “you beat it after the rest. I’ll try to hold ’em until you get into the tunnel. Never do for ’em to get Ruth.” “Right.” My own breathing was growing labored. “We'll hold them. Drake can take care of Ruth.” | , ee boy,” .he said. “I wouldn’t have asked you. It probably means eath.” “Very well,” I gasped, irritated. “But why borrow trouble?” He reached out, touched me. | “You're right, Walter,” he grinned. “It does—seem—like carrying coals—to Newcastle.” There was a thunderous booming behind us; a shattering crash. A — of smoke and dust hung over the northern end of the ruined ortress. It lifted swittly, and I saw that the whole side of the structure had ECOMC OOO (GO)