Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 23, 1924 — page 132: what you’re looking at

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

290 more timorous fellows paused behind the trees and looked back they saw this one standing alone facing the charge of fifty infuriated shes. They saw him fit arrow to bow, and the women saw, too, but they did not understand — not immediately — and then the bow string twanged and the fore- most woman collapsed with an arrow in her heart; but the others did not pause, because the thing had been done so quick- ly that the full purport of it had not as yet penetrated their thick skulls. The son of the First Woman fitted a sec- ond arrow and sped it. Another woman fell, rolling over and over, and now the others hesitated—hesitated and were lost, for that momentary pause gave courage to the other men peering from behind the trees. If one of their number could face fifty women and bring them to halt what might not eleven men banded together ac- complish ? They rushed forth then with spears and arrows just as the women renewed their as- sault.. The feathered pebbles flew thick and fast, but faster and more accurately flew the feathered arrows of the men. The leading women rushed courageously for- ward to close quarters where they might use their bludgeons and lay hold of the men with their mighty hands, but they learned then that spears were more for- midable weapons than bludgeons, with the result that those who did not fall wounded, turned and fled. | It was then that the son of the First Woman revealed possession of a spark of generalship that decided the issue for that day, and, perhaps, for all time. His action was epochal in the existence of the Zertala- colols. Instead of being satisfied with re- pulsing the women, instead of resting upon laurels gloriously won, he turned the tables upon the hereditary foe and charged the women, signaling his fellows to accompany him, and when they saw the women running from them, so inspired were they by this reversal of a custom ages old, they leaped swiftly in pursuit. They thought that the son of the First Woman intended that they should slay all the enemy and so they were surprised when ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. oe they saw him overhaul a comely, young female and, seizing her by the hair, disarm her. So remarkable did it seem to them that one of their number, having a woman in his power, did not immediately slay her, they were constrained to pause and gather around him, asking questions in their strange sign language. ‘“ Why do you hold her?” ‘‘ Why do you not kill her?” she will kill you?” were some of the many questions that were launched at him. “I am going to keep her,” replied the son of the First Woman. ‘I do not like to cook. She shall cook for me. If she re- fuses I shall stick her with this,” and he made a jab toward the young woman’s ribs with his spear, a gesture that caused her to cower and drop fearfully upon one knee. “Are you not afraid that. The men jumped up and down in excite- — ment as the value of this plan and the evi- dent terror of the woman for the man sank into their dull souls. “Where are the women?” they signed to one. another; but the women had disap- peared. One of the men started off in the direc- tion they had gone. “I go!” he signaled. “YT come back with a woman of my own, to cook for me!”’ In a mad rush the others followed him, leaving the son of the First Woman alone with his she. He turned upon her. “You will cook for me?” he demanded. To his signs she but returned a sullen, snarling visage. The son of the First Wom- an raised his spear and with the heavy shaft struck the girl upon the head, knocking her down, and he stood over her, himself snarl- ing and scowling, menacing her with fur- ther punishment, while she cowered where she had fallen. He kicked her in the side. “Get up!” he commanded. Slowly she crawled to her knees and em- bracing his legs gazed up into his face with an expression of cowlike adulation and devotion. “You will cook for me?” he demanded again. ‘“‘ Forever!” she replied in the sign lan- guage of their people. TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK CORNICE MOOKS (E©)