The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-04-20
o SERIAL STORY -
MEXICAN
MASQUERADE
By CECIL cARNES
SENTENCED:

faster than Allan Steele He
plvoted in his own length ON
the ground ard came 70 his feet
in the same swift movement His
forward leap and an upward
thrust Of his powerful left arm
knoc ked aside the barrel Of the
menacing rifle. Il exploded
harmlessly. He swung a hay
maker with his right which
would have torn the East In
dams head from his shoulders
II Il had found the mark.
Probably the fellow was un-
prepared for any resistance at
all. let alone a counter-attack
so dynamic. Perhaps his orders
we're not TO shoot unless neces-
sary. He gave ground almost
automatically. and gave it bare
~ in time to escape the looping
fist which buzzed by his nose.
He shouted something in Jap
snese, then went spinning into
a patch OF cactus as Allan's
left reached his jaw in an upper
cut full of authority.
II the Japanese words were a
command to close in, his six
yellow henchmen had not waited
for il. They rushed forward at
Allsn's first movement. One Of
them tripped over the Eurasians
rifle, another was knocked
sprawling by the Eurasian him
self in flight. a third went 10
earth as Allan's knee drove his
stomach against his spine and
plastered II there.
But still there were three Of
the formidable Orientals left.
They bored in, grim. silent. pur-
poseful. Two leaped for Allan's
arms, caught them and chung
like teaches. The last man dove
hesdlong to grasp his knees in
a football tackle. but a WE'LL
aimed kick in the face diverted
his aim. He sprawled, his arms
still cropping blindly for their OBJ
jective.
BY now the Eurasian was on
his feet again, but standing
prudently to one side. His hide
Gus face even more repulsive
from hate. he snapped orders in
words that cracked. AS if prod
ded by imaginary elephant gods.
the temporarily disabled Japs
sprang erect and tore in again
like men possessed of fiends:
they descended upon Allan with
the impact of six living batter
ing-rams.
He fought them tooth and
nail, also with elbows and knees
and fists and feet. The knot of
struggling men swayed this way
and that, spinning around in
series of crazy circles. No sound
came from the straining bodies
except Allan's gasping breath
and an occasional grunt. with a
japanese accent, as one of his
desperate lunges connected with
some vital spot in an enemy's
anatomy.
His aim was TO break loose
for Just the one instant he need
ed to get out his automatic. He
was fighting a 12-armed human
octopus, and every time he broke
the clinging grip of a single
tentaole, two others replaced it.
BY sheer weight and brute
force, ne rushed the sextet .
through the olump of pines and
TO the edge of the steep decliv- 81
ity. A moment the twisting
group teetered on the brink: an
other saw them over it and PIN
wheeling down the sharp incline
IN a choking cloud OF dust and D
hubble. Allan Jared best Of
them all; in the center of the
revolving mass, his protective =
covering of enemy bodies shield f,
ed his own from thorn and cac-
tgs.
In the end. It was the PENN
sula itself that beat him. At the !
foot Of the hill something akin
to display of fireworks dazzled
his brain; but before he could
really appreciate the rockets,
shooting stars and Roman can
Continued on Page IL Column 81