Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 4, 1925 — page 113: what you’re looking at

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

THE RADIO BEASTS. four on one side and one on the other, con- fronted each other with bristling antenne. Then “ Sic ’em!”’ shouted the earth-man. At that, his pet woofus, electrified, sprang at the other four. <A clawing, snarling ball of purple hate resulted, out of which finally catapulted one huge woofus, which fled across the silver sands. The four quickly disentangled themselves and followed. Cabot stood aghast, for his woofus, his brave woofus, was in flight. Round and round the arena it ran, pur- sued by the other four. This was a spec- tacle the like of which had never been vouchsafed to the sport-loving Cupians, or to the bloodthirsty Formians for that mat- ter. It appealed alike to the predominating trait of each race, and the throngs in the Stands went wild with enthusiasm, even the supporters of Cabot forgetting their parti- sanship in their glee. The fight could now have but one out- come, namely, the ultimate overtaking and overcoming of the pursued; and, after that, a horrible death for the earth-man. Gradu- ally the chase lengthened out, until each pursuer was separated from the next by almost as many parastads as lay between their leader and the beast whicn fed before them. Cabot sat down in the center of the sands and watched the race with a feeling of strange detachment, scarcely conscious of the fact that, at the end of all this, ke was destined to be torn to bits. His only sentiments were sorrow that his pet should have proved a craven, and anxiety for its safety. Why couldn’t the woofus die fight- ing, as befitted a creature trained by Myles Cabot, the Minorian? With this thought in mind, Myles jumped to his feet and, hastening over to one side of the stadium, stood directly in the path of the oncoming beasts. He heard Lilla gasp in the stands above, and then the woofuses were upon him. His own pet, tired and frantic as it was, saw and recognized its master, and paused to turn one side and so avoid running him down; and, at this instant, Cabot shouted peremptorily: “ Sic ?em, Tige! Sic ’em!” Habit proved stronger than fear. The woofus wheeled, and in an instant had Jaid its surprised pursuer in the dust. 903 “Run!” ordered the earth-man, and again the largest woofus fled, followed now by only three enemies. The line strung out as before, and again circled the stadium. And again the earth- man halted the procession when it reached him. But this time the seccnd pursuing woofus put up a better fight than its pre- decessor, with the result that the other two caught up, and joined in the fray. Cabot’s woofus was soon lying on its back on the ground, with its three enemies on top of it, but its jaws were firmly. fixed in the throat of one of them, and the body of this one protected it in a measure frcm the other two. The earth-man stood by, an interested but an impotent onlooker, for there was nothing he could do to help. But at last the underdog wriggled clear of the pile and fled again around the enclosure. This time it was followed by only two, for the second of its enemies lay stretched upon the gory sands. One of the two pursuers now rapidiy gained upon the pursued and overtook it as it reached the opposite side of the sta- dium from that on which Cabot was stand- ing, so Myles raced across to observe the battle close at hand. But before he reached the other side the fight was over. His own woofus raised its Dloody head aloft with a pzan of triumph and planted its forepaws upon the body of its third victim. The fourth pursuer halted In its mad rush. For a few paraparths the two beasts glared at each other; then, with arched backs and stiffened legs, thev slowly circled each other, watching for an opening. “ Divide and conquer,” remarked the radio man to himself, then to his pet, “‘ Sic em!” The huge beast sprang at its opponent with a snarl. And now the tables were turned, for it was the other which fled. Round and round the arena they ran. the pursued gradually drawing away from the pursuer. Myles could see that his own beast was more tired than the other, and, accordingly, he became afraid that even vet the battle might be lost. So hastily deciding upon a rash plan, he placed himself directly in the Conn GIOok