Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 21, 1922 — page 150: what you’re looking at

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

140 a barrage of cutting wallops. Bill guard- ed well, and before three minutes were up slipped in another blood-curdling smash over Wilkes’s right eye that swung him spinning like a top. The blow seemed to be just the proper medicine to set Chauncey going. For five minutes they fought like demons, holding open and crashing blow after blow on each other’s blood-stained and lacerated faces. Then Bill rushed in and clinched. They tumbled to the ground and rolled and wrestled until both were so tired they could hardly move. Bill.quit taking any aggres- sive measures and just clinched on to Wilkes and hung there. At last they lay motionless. “Had enough?” asked Chauncey. ** Hell, no!” ‘“‘ What say, we rest up a bit and see if we can’t settle this the next time.” - They unclinched and, stretching out on the grass, relaxed for an hour. Bill actual- ly dozed off toward the end of the period. Chauncey shook him. “ Better wind this up, hadn’t we?” They got up and faced each other. “You say the word this time,” said Chauncey. “I talk too slow. You danged near knocked me out before I finished last time.” “Then go!” yelled Bill, rushing at his foe with another mighty swing of his right. But this time Chauncey was not there. “‘T got your number, kid!” he cried, and placed a five-hundred-pound wallop on the back of Bill’s neck. Bill dug his nose an inch in the ground and picked himself up cautiously. fully on his feet and balanced. In a flash he wished he hadn’t. Bill piled two quick Le} U Watch for the Wilkes waited until he was © ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. blows over his heart, and Chauncey sank to his knees. He was up again, and from then on the fight became one of steady punishment. They clinched, broke, battered, and clinched again. Then of a sudden Chaun- cey swung a mighty left to Bill’s neck again, and Bill stretched out’ unconscious on the grass. Chauncey waited nearly fif- teen minutes for him to come to. By that time he began to feel uneasy. Picking his erstwhile enemy up in his arms, he stum- bled down to the creek. After a little ap- plication of cold water Bill opened his eyes. But he was too far gone to make any comments, Chauncey let him lie and rest for an hour. It was getting near daylight. “‘ Better get in and patch up,” he ven- tured finally, “‘ before our Pine dailies start a search, hadn’t we?” Bill crawled to his feet. He certainly was licked. It didn’t take a Boston logi- cian to convince him of the fact either. He was thoroughly licked. But it had been a fair fight, and he had given his word to keep his mouth shut. Poor Maggie! They plodded wearily back to town. “* Better come up to my room. It’s near- er than your place,” Chauncey suggested. Bill followed him. They washed and massaged their torn and bruised faces, and they lay down side by side to sleep until morning—late in the morning. “You’re keepin’ your mouth shut, ain’t yer” reminded Chauncey as they stretched out on the bed. << Yep.” “Then I'll tip you a bit of information to help you. You see, Bill, Maggie is Flora Reece.” U Uv opening date of “THE TIGER TRAIL” ad a new serial of stirring adventure by Edison Marshall. The scene is laid in the Florida swamps, and you may be assured of a thor- oughly absorbing story. comicloool C©