Evening star., 1940-08-04
THIS WEEK MAGAZINE
BAD
NEICHBOR
Continued from poge three


perhaps you lie Curtiss
shrugged - perhaps another has
lied to you. 1t makes no difference;
the document is forged"
The German purpled to the roots
of his short hair. On the table. serving
as a paperweight. was a horseshoe.
Meinhardt picked it up. gripped it
at either end, and strained. The
curved steel slowly Strengthened to
bar. You see, Senior? l am not man
to accept an insult. If that were your
throat now -"
John Curtiss picked up the bar and
examined it closely. 1T hasn't been
tempered" he remarked. mo one
could bend tempered shoe. A black
smith in Tacuman showed me the
trick. 1t is trick. Sehor. although OF
course one must be strong too"
His eyes met and held the Ger
mans. Only Mercedes saw the shoul-
der-seams of his coat strain as unsus-
pected muscles writhed and knotted.
The men watched the bar in John
Curtiss's hands, watched it resume
its curved form. then bend further
until the two ends met.
The Germans expression changed
subtly. Amazement followed anger
and both struggled with resentful
admiration for the man who had dupli-
Gated his feat. John dropped the steel
hoop among the papers and stepped
back as a gasping cry burst from
Mercedes's lips.
liz wHIRLED as the man Jose raced
from behind the table, knife in hand.
and lunged in the terrible ripping up
thrust for the belly which all knife
fighters know. Only Mercedes's inter-
vention saved Curtiss, unprepared for
the attack, from being ripped to the
breastbone. She clawed like wildcat
at Jose's shoulder and the thrust was
short by an inch Of its target in Cur
tiss's groin. The rush carried Gomez
to close quarters, and before he could
check his speed or thrust again, Johns
fist crashed in his face. The blow sent
the man to the floor, where he lay
whimpering with bleeding lips.
Five seconds had not passed since
Mercedes's warning, but before John
could turn Meinhardt was on him,
charging like bull from behind the
table. The shock of the impact sent
Curtiss to the floor, and the German
flung himself upon him. An arm like
an oaken spar encircled Johns throat,
bending his head back cruelty. and
thick hand clamped on his face.
Thumb and finger groped for the
Americans eyes. John writhed. but
Meinhardt was seated squarely on his
back and his arms were pinioned by
the pressure of the mans thighs. He
heard the German chuckle - then
the stabbing fingers left his face and
the big man leaped to his feet, cursing
in his native tongue. Hallway be-
tween knee and hip, red stain spread
slowly on his white linen trousers.
ALMOST at John Curtiss's feet was
the crouching figure of Mercedes.
The girls face was twisted by fury;
she gripped the knife which had fallen
from Jose's fingers. Had she been a
few inches closer to the struggling
men the blade would have severed the
tendons behind the Germans knee.
but she had stabbed swiftly and des-
perately. and had succeeded only in
driving an inch of the steel into Mein-
hardt's thigh.
"Ay-" John did not know if her
scream was of triumph or disappoint-
ment. 1t rang like war trumpet in
his ears, but his eyes saw only Mein-
hardt and the fingers which were
within inches of the bell cord, and he
dived headlong across the table.
He struck at Meinhardt's hand and
the German, STOPPING slightly. in
ct;p~tivelv married. the bIow Their