Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-12-25
der Crewe's nose. You'll eat them
words or I'll make squash pie outen

der Crewe's nose. You'll eat them
words or I'll make squash pie outen
you"
you will. win you?' replied Crewe
sneeringly. Twelve to one-twelve
Yanks to one Canadian, and that's |
about your measure. There amt a
man here / can't lick singly in fair
fight"
Crewe had forced his way to Thomp- !
sons side. The sailor had just been |
released from the tattooer's charge |
and was rearranging his clothes. Now, |
hearing these words, he sprang up |
glaring.
Let me get at him." he shouted.
NO no, Frank don't fight. You got
to save your hands for tomorrow,
Frank" cried his supporters.
let him fight shouted Egan.
Whats the odds. 1t won't take many
seconds to put that slob out of bust
ness. Say, do you mean what you
said?" he yelled, thrusting his face
within an inch of Crewe's.
II surely do, and here's to prove it."
Crewe answered, and his fist shot out
and caught Egan on the point of the
jaw. l saw the man collapse, crumple
up. and lie still. It was one of the
cleanest fighting blows had ever seen
delivered.
Infatuated by the defeat of his
friend. Thompson darted forward, his
fists whirling like engine shafts. There
was nothing of science shown. Crewe
fought pluckily, but it was evident
that he could not stand for long before
those sledge-hammer blows. He sprang
forward and the men clinched. I heard
a short, quick snap, and heard the
sailor utter an exclamation of pain.
He fell back and looked down at his
hands stupidity. One dangled Imply
from the wrist, as though it were
broken.
1T was a foul blow, Langton," said
Crewe to me on the following day.
But unquestionably it was justified
for the saving of the mans life. By
the way, 1 see that the Englishman
, easily defeated Thompson's substi-
tute."
, What was the substance used by
, the tattooer?" 1 asked, knowing that
, Crewe's story would have to be drawn
, out of him piecemeal.
Zone of the iodides," he answered,
: "and the most powerful explosives
t known. So violent are they in their
, action that, if few grains be strewn
, upon rhe face of a watch, the hands,
coming in contact with them, will de-
tomato them and blow the whole watch
j to pieces"
: How did you come to suspect that
5 this substance had been used, and
how was it intended to work."
: do you remember what they used
p to rub into soldiers wounds in olden
n days. Langton?" my companion asked.
i / shook my head.
A "Gunpowder. The explosives have
7 the property of being very we'll tolerat-
ed by the tissues of the human body.
O Thompson's statement that the tattoo
: ing caused barely any irritation, the
n peculiarly blue appearance of the
scar, and the relationship existing be.
n tween Egan and the Chinaman, who
Is was connected with firm of firecrack
q er importers, all confirmed me in my
n suspicion. The plan was. undoubtedly
@. to let Thompson meet the English
If man, when the first hard blow that he
m received upon the chest would certain
% ly have detonated the explosive and
blown out the vital organs of the body
e producing instant death.
You know that, when foreign sub
L. stance enters the tissues, nature, I'm
" able to reject it, renders it harmless
lie by encysting it. 1t was the fear thai
* this encysting process might already
If have begun which caused Egan to in
h sist upon a second application
y. 'If the substance could have beer
p removed, l would have confidet
in Thompson. But any attempt tt
re cut out the explosive would nave
Ly caused an immediate defamation. M!
o. problem, therefore. was to prevent the
h fight by rendering Thompson power
n less without striking him upon tn,
IL chest, as Egan hoped l would when h,
,e melted him to at ack me. And bu
for that" concluded Crewe, with /;
y touch of pride in his tones, Il thinl
m l could have give. better accoun
,e of myself in our little tussle."
Il suppose there is no chance O
H. bringing the criminals to Justice"
10 suggested. Thompson would be tn
IS first to take the pat of Egan. A
er least he ought to know the truth
What for?" asked Crewe He will
10 be well protected in the ships hos
If pital, the explosive will have becom
It encysted with few days, and Thomr
,e son will certainly inherit that legacy
g Langton, he said, looking at me whin
ID sically, you, as lawyer, ought t
at know that the wi man is he VIII
III knows .rhe- to keep his mouth shut
~ Lightning Kills Few.
u In 1906 lightning killed only 1863 pee
o. pie in this whole country. One
chances of death by lightning are les
he than two in million. Tie chance c
he death from liver, kidney or stomac
De trouble is vastly greater, but not
20 Electric Bitters be used, as Rohel
IN Madsen of West Burlington, low;
u proved Four doctors gave him u
IL T. ,f