Adventure Magazine Cover — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

74 thought he had broken his hand. Down went Fisher with a crash. McBryde thought— “T’ve killed him.” The sight of the man rebounding to his feet brought a scowl to McBryde’s face. He couldn’t hit any harder than that last blow. If the man could take such punish- ment as that! Fisher came again. Mc- Bryde swung. With a tremendous thump the blow landed full in the giant’s chest. Yet on he came. McBryde threw up his guard. Fisher’s right broke through it and found—his forehead again. The blow turned him dizzy. And Fisher was driving to his body while he fought for steadiness. “Finish him, Joe!’’ yelled a voice. It stabbed McBryde into quickened per- Cipience. He was alone, fighting now for his life. Behind Fisher lay men who would stick at nothing, itching for a pot-shot at the man who had dared challenge their lawlessness. “Stay back, men!’ yelled McBryde. “Fair fight! Don’t move unless they do!” Then he went in to Fisher. It was as though the last staggering blow had started a new mechanism in his brain. It was saying: oan tia “It’s Fisher’s fight if he fights his way! It’s Fisher’s fight if he fights his way!” McBryde charged. Fisher’s way was to keep the initiative. He must put him on the defensive or be killed. Straight at the bearded jaw he swung. It landed and Fisher’s head flew back. He grunted and tried to charge through. Mc- Bryde drove his left to the jaw with a fearful crack. Yet Fisher broke through. Jim’s body caught the impact and the breath flew from it and was caught again with a heave that was like a great furious sob. Charge again! Fisher threw up both hands and broke the assault, swung back for the counterblow. But on the flash of an instant as that guard went down, Jim’s right went in. Fisher crashed to the ground, bounded up and before he could lunge, McBryde had found the hairy chin. The man went down again, cursing, was up in a flash. In the name of Heaven would nothing hurt him? Jim McBryde, panting, lunging, grap- pling, swinging, fought with the might of desperation. Let Fisher punish him, he would take it. Not another blow would he waste until the time was ripe. He must Adventure end this soon, or it would be done for him. He could not stand such terrific punishment as this man had taken. He could not much longer stand what Fisher was inflicting. The man was tireless, indestructible, over- whelming! His shirt was half torn from his battered torso, his head still ringing from those blows between his eyes. Yet he waited, taking this and that from Fisher’s flying fists, crowding in, closer, closer, grimly. Fisher seermmed to understand, for he was growling as he fought, his little sparks of eyes fixed upon McBryde’s cool blue ones. It was as though he was endeavoring to read what was working in McBryde’s towsled, flaxen head. The moment came. At close quarters Fisher had driven furiously to McBryde’s ribs and followed with a swing of his left. Jim gritted his teeth and took—both. For even in the agonized instant as the blows went home, he knew that the moment was what he had fought for, sacrificed for. The mark was there, to a fraction of an inch within range for the maximum blow. The mark was unprotected. And witha Sweep and swing of arm and body, Jim McBryde struck it. Fisher’s head flew back. He toppled over and fell like a log. Lay there limp and breathing with the sound of a great bellows. McBryde braced himself against a tree and dizzily saw his work was done. | A stir in the underbrush roused him, steadied him. Fisher’s henchmen were waiting to know. And there stood Mc- Bryde in the lantern light a fair target. To win this battle and then go down from a shot in the dark! What a hair-brained fool he had been to come alone! His bluff wouldn’t last; already the sound of stirring beyond the rim of light was a challenge. Fisher lay there, licked! Outside lay men who were not licked, men who would stick at nothing. He heard their very whispering. It sent a chill down his spine. He turned and spoke into the darkness. “Men, keep back. But if Fisher’s crowd starts anything He broke off. The utter emptiness of it sickened him. That bluff was going to be called. He knew it. He was trapped. It might happen any moment now. A red spurt of flame from the blackness, eager hands dragging at Fisher’s inert bulk. No answering shot from behind McBryde. COmiclboolks ©