by Harl Vincent
red-litnights of listening to Novak, he reached the grudging conclusion thatescape from this place was impossible. With this conviction there cameto him a deeper bitterness and the resolve that he, Luke Fenton, wouldhave his revenge before he went the way of the rest.
Perhaps the law had him for keeps this time--it certainly seemed so; buthe'd leave his mark on its representatives yet.
* * * * *
At inspection preceding the next labor period, Luke began doing things.
The prisoners were lined up and the guards were parading the line,reassigning them to new working squads, which were shifted andrearranged every third day. Kulan, the big Martian, selected Luke.
"You, Fenton," he snapped, "ten paces forward."
Luke grinned but made no move.
Amazed, the guard stepped closer. "You heard me!" he roared. "I'mkeepin' you in my squad, tough guy."
A ripple of astonished comment ran along the line and the other guardsbellowed for silence. Kulan fingered the black tube of his neutro-beamand his broad face was chalky white.
Luke advanced two paces, still grinning. And he looked up sneeringlyinto the grim face that was a foot above his own.
"That's right, you big ape," he grated, "you ain't man enough to fightthe way men fight. Gotta use dart guns, or gravity."
It was sheer baiting of the big Martian. Fenton was shrewd and he knewthe fellow's kind, quick to resent insult and prouder of their physicalsize and prowess than of any other possession. He saw the flush thatrose to replace the guard's pallor, saw the huge lithe body go tense.Laughing derisively, he completed his ten paces with leisurely aplomb.
Speechless with rage, Kulan stood rigid. Furtive boos and a few hoarsecheers came from somewhere in the long line of convicts, and Luke sawseveral men flattened to the ground by swift darting neutro-beams.
And then the head guard came running from the small bastion. "What thehell?" he demanded of Kulan. "Any trouble?"
Kulan saluted, and his eyes were narrow slits. "No sir," he returnedstiffly, "no trouble."
Eyeing Luke suspiciously, the senior guard grunted, then moved on alongthe line. And the work of reallotting squads went on.
* * * * *
It was exactly as Fenton had expected. This Kulan, a head over him instature and broad in proportion, was sure in his mind that he couldhandle the red-headed Earthman without resort to weapons. And the tauntas to his physical ability had struck home. In some way that guard wouldmaneuver matters so the encounter could come about. Besides, he wouldendeavor to keep Luke in his squad where he would be able to drive himto the utmost. The guards, Novak had said, were on the job only a monthwhen they were replaced by fresh recruits--and their pay was based onthe productivity of the squads they commanded. Kulan had seen that theEarthman was a real sapper; worth three of the others. And he'd try tokeep it so.
That working period was a highly gratifying one to Luke. With therankling hatred concentrated and directed at Kulan, he was positivelygleeful. And yet he was content to bide his time. He swung his pick andwielded his rock drill with joyful abandon, so that three men were keptbusy loading the ore he removed.
Kulan, he saw with satisfaction, was sullen and watchful. But no wordpassed between the two. And the Earthman knew he had planted a seed thatwas bound to sprout and grow until it bore fruit.
* * * * *
At the midday mess it happened. The shifting of men had brought Novak inthe same squad with Luke and they came in to sit at the long tabletogether. Kulan eyed them narrowly from the head of the board.
"Say," Novak whispered, "yuh got under Kuley's skin, know it? He'll runyuh ragged."
"Yes?" Luke looked up at the guard, saw he was scowling darkly in theirdirection, and grinned evilly. "I'll run him, you mean. I'll bust him intwo if I get my hands on him."
"Yuh ain't got a chance, I tell yuh. I seen a guy once, take a poke at aguard, and what they done to him was plenty. They----"
With that, the wasted body of Novak bent double and he dropped to theground screaming. Blood gushed from his nostrils. Luke had seen the samething happen to several others and he knew what to expect. It was allover for Novak, or nearly over.
Kulan came running and turned the stricken man face up.
"You'll last another period," he snarled. "Get up and eat."
He yanked Novak to his feet and shook him as he would a sack of meal.The sick man moaned and begged, his head rolling from side to side andhis eyes filmed with pain.
"Let me have it," he whimpered. "I'm done, I tell yuh Kuley. GetGannett, if yuh don't believe me."
Kulan slapped him heavily with the flat of his massive hand. "You'llwork another period, sewer rat, if I have to prop you up!"
Then Luke Fenton took a chance. He didn't care particularly for Novak,nor was he overly concerned by what might happen to him. But this gavehim an excuse, an opening.
He hooked his thick fingers in the collar of Kulan's jacket and twisteduntil the big Martian loosed Novak and whirled around. Then Luke drove ahard fist to his jaw--a pulled punch so as not to betray his realstrength. Nevertheless it set the guard back on his heels and split thetaut skin where it landed.
* * * * *
Pandemonium broke loose in the mess hall. Gannett, the senior guard,came bellowing down the aisle, and the squad guards were on their feetin an instant, neutro-tubes and dart guns ready. The uproar of theprisoners died down.
Kulan shook his shaggy head and crouched low as he circled the Earthman.Murder was in his heart, and the urge to break this tough guy Fentonwith his bare hands. But Gannett was between them.
"Hell's bells!" he yelped. "What goes on here?"
Then he saw Novak--and heard him. Novak was writhing on the ground,begging for death. And the chief guard's dart gun twanged as itsneedlelike missile sped forth and drove into the sick man's breast whereit sang its shrill song of vibratory dissolution.
In the twinkling of an eye where Novak had lain was only the dust ofcomplete disintegration and a few scintillating, dancing light flecksthat swiftly snuffed out. A speedy and merciful end.
In the silence that followed, Gannett turned on Kulan. "Why didn't yousend for me?" he demanded.
The guard, white with rage, indicated Luke.
"So--the tough guy Fenton again. Can't you handle him?"
Kulan's yellow eyes flashed fire. "Sure I can; I will. But I want yourpermission, sir. With my hands."
"No,"--flatly. And then Gannett whirled to look over the mess tables,whence a few scattered hisses had arisen.
His gaze was solemn when he returned it to Kulan. Swiftly his black eyesmeasured the Martian's giant body, and then they swung to Luke. Thecomparison evidently pleased him, for he changed his mind.
"On second thought, yes," he said to Kulan. "It'll be good fordiscipline. Only don't disable him; he's too valuable a worker."
Luke concealed his unholy glee; stood glowering savagely. "In fairfight?" he put in.
"In fair fight," sneered Gannett. He took personal charge of Kulan'sweapons. "All right, you," he yelled then to the mess, "you can watchthis. But if there's a sound or a move from any one of you there'll bethe neutro-broadcast and full gravity for an hour for the wholeflea-bitten gang of you."
He drew back, motioning Luke and Kulan to an open space nearby. Therewas not the slightest doubt in his mind as to the outcome, for theMartian towered over his stocky opponent and was fully fifty poundsheavier. This irregular procedure would put a stop to some of the openhomage paid to this reputed tough guy by the prisoners, and to therestlessness among them which his coming had occasioned.
* * * * *
They fought instantly and with silent deadliness of purpose, these two.Luke drove in two terrible blows to the big Martian's body in thesplit-second before they closed, breathtaking punches that rocked Kulanyet did no
t slow him up in the least. And then the tangle of arms andlegs and bodies of the two was so swift moving and violent that thewatchers could not follow them.
Now they were up, slugging, clinching; now down, rolling over and over,straining and tearing at each other like beasts of the jungle. Once,breaking free, Luke was seen to batter Kulan's face to a bloody masswith swift, hammering fists that thudded too rapidly to count. And thenthe Martian had flung him to the rocky ground so heavily that it seemedcertain the Earthman's end had come. But such was not the case, forthere was a flailing scramble and Luke Fenton rose up with the greatbody of Kulan across his shoulders. He spread his legs wide and heavedmightily.
The Martian guard kicked and squirmed, lashing out with
