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first, you fool Now unbuckle your gun-belt with your left hand--your

left, I said! Drop it on the floor"

There was an unusual sound behind, such as a rat lanced aside apprehensively In that single second Slavin was

upon hi with hairy

hand to get a death-grip about his throat Twice Ha face, and then the giant's

crushing weight bore hiure like steel, but Slavin got his grip at last, and with

giant strength began to crunch his victim within his vise-like ar mere sobs of

exhaustion Then Slavin slipped, and Harip It was for scarcely an instant,

yet it served; for as he bent aside, swinging his burly opponent with

him, so

knife,its mark, sunk instead deep into Slavin's breast

Hampton saw the flash of a blade, a hand, a portion of an arers of Slavin swept hi about the deserted knife-hilt The two

crashed down together upon the floor, the force of the fall driving the

blade hoambler's heart