Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 108: what you’re looking at

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

898 caught herself, and to King Yuri she re- plied: “‘ I have chosen, king. You may kill Mvles Cabot, if you can, but I will never disgrace Cupia by marrying a beast. There may be some doubt about Cabot being a Cupian, but there is no doubt that you are a beast. ‘ As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.’ Now / have spoken.” “ That reminds me,” said Yuri, not in the least perturbed, “‘ that I must kill Poblath too, and add his lovelv wife, Bthuh, to my retinue. Ho, hum, ’tis a weary job being a king. There are so many details to look after. Take them away; I am tired.” And he turned and engaged in some inaudible conversation with the black queen. Lilla flung her arms once more around the neck of her shackled husband. Then both were seized by the ant-soldiers, and were led out through different exits. During the interview, Doggo had withdrawn, doubtless because he felt that it might be difficult for him to restrain himself, when he saw the indignities to which he had subjected his old friend. Mvles wondered if King Yuri would de- prive him of his electrical antenne, for that had always been Yuri’s move in the past. But no, for he was dragged away with his set still intact. Then the guard wrapped Mvles com- pletely up in a blanket, and bundled him into a kerkool. ‘A good sign,” thought Myles. “ It in- dicates that Yuri fears to show me to the populace. Well, here I am in Kuana, and a lot of good it does me! Anvhow, I have seen my Lilla, and she is well. Also I know how matters stand at court. The new ant-queen is a colorless creature.” And he smiled to himself at the pun. Somehow, he felt the same calm detach- ment which he had experienced during his trial for treason before the former Queen Formis. He could not help remembering, all the while, that, after all, this was only a nest of ants! But he lost some of his calm when he found what was in store for him. The ker- kool stopped in front of the Kuana stadium, and he was led into the arena. There his shackles were removed and he was given food and drink. Then five woofuses were ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. led forth. Each woofus wore a leather col- lar buckled about its neck. To this collar were fastened a pole held by two ant-men, and a chain held by another, by means of which devices the clawing, scratching crea- ture was kept under control. Cabot was now placed in the center of a circle formed by five equally-spaced posts, each post being about two woofus- chain-lengths from the next. To each of these posts was fastened the chain of one woofus; and then the ant-men withdrew, leaving Cabot to his own devices. The woofus is the most dreaded carnivore of all Poros. It is about the size and gen- eral appearance of an earthly mountain-lion, except that it is hairless, is lavender in color, has webbed feet, and has pale blue antenne instead of ears. A woofus is a match for ten Cupians in fair fight, and its chief occupation, when not fighting, is just to sit and howl. Most of the fauna of the planet are either reptiles or insects. Birds are unknown. Mathlabs, freworms, blue apes and Cupians are about the only mammals. The insects run through all the sizes from tiny bugs up to the ant-men and the huge whistling bees. The reptiles range from the brink, which is a minute kangaroo like toad a quarter-inch in length, up to the woofus, which I have just described. A pleasant situation for Cabot. indeed. to have five of these howling beasts staked about him in a circle. Now he understood why he had been per- mitted to retain his apparatus. It was se that ne might be tormented by the howling of these guards. CHAPTER XVII. “THE LION AND THE MOUSE.” HERE is an ancient fable about a brink which once did a favor for a woofus, thus so surprising the woofus that he died of the shock. But in the pres- ent case, the brinks figured a little bit dif- ferently, as you snall see as you read on. To realize Cabot’s predicament, take a pair of compasses and draw five equally spaced circles, each tangent to the next. An (C@) GIOok