The Moon Colony

by William Dixon Bell

  CHAPTER VII

  Ready to Crush Out Life

  The guards, at a motion from the giant, pushed the prisoners inside ofthe laboratory. Toplinsky shot his eyes around the room for a second,and then bounded forward with energetic fury across the floor to whereten men were working as if death was just ahead of them.

  With a light slap of his big hand he turned a man upside down, androlled him across the floor.

  “That for your ignorance,” he shrilled. “Have not I, the great HermanToplinsky, repeatedly told you nitrogen is an inert element—that itdoes not care to unite with other elements, and that we must be verycareful at the beginning if we want to live when we get to the moon?We cannot wait until we can grow vegetables. We must have nitrogenfree for the atmosphere, and we must also have it _fixed_ so that wecan charge the new atmosphere with electric currents and cause it torain on the face of the moon. Yes, I, the great Toplinsky, tell youall these things, and yet you attend to this apparatus slothfully—youdo not complete the electric arc; you do not hook three hydrogen atomsto one of nitrogen. Ah, ha! Do I not tell you again, and again, thatas condensed ammonia we shoot it easily into the moon, and that whenit releases it becomes again hydrogen and nitrogen?”

  He kicked the prostrate form of the unfortunate worker, who was anAmerican aviator, and turned amiably to Joan and Epworth, all tracesof anger disappearing. Epworth and his sister looked at each other ina puzzled way. Was the giant crazy? The idea of shooting hydrogen andnitrogen at the moon in small packages indicated that he was.

  “My friends, it is so.” Toplinsky smiled amiably. He was pleased withthe impression he was making. “I, the great Toplinsky, do more thanshoot packages of NH? to the moon. I shoot everything I need, andsoon—well, we shall see what we shall see. In the meantime——”

  He bowed like a diplomat to Epworth. The young American caught theintent.

  “Did I understand you to say that you objected so violently to mymarrying this young maiden that you were ready to fight for her?”

  Epworth shivered slightly. This was the biggest man he had ever seen—aman as strong as Samson. If he went into a fight with him it would bea very desperate affair. He glanced at Joan. She was looking at thegiant with a loathing that she did not attempt to disguise, and shewas his sister.

  “Yes, I am ready to fight for my sister. She shall marry when shepleases, and the man she wants.”

  Joan gave him a look of intense gratitude. She had great confidence inher brother’s fighting ability.

  Toplinsky turned away as if the matter was of no more interest, andpassed out of the house. As he walked from the big building he wavedhis hand in an explanatory way at two giant tubes buried in theground.

  “Beneath these two tubes,” he remarked casually, “I have a powerfulpower plant, and much complicated machinery. With the electric currentgenerated by the ebb and flow of the Arctic Ocean I load the cylinderswith heavy blocks of ice, and then give the projectiles a start intospace. Lean heavily, my dear bantam, lean heavily on this point. Theprojectile I shoot leaves the earth at a speed of 6.77 miles persecond; that speed carries it beyond the gravity clutch of the earth.When it gets a certain distance, in order to land it at a certain spoton the moon, its speed is accelerated by the explosion of a liquidrocket, fired by clock work. It is easy when you know how.”

  “Mercy!” Joan ejaculated in admiration. “Why do you shoot soaccurately? Why not scatter your stuff all over the moon?”

  “It would be wasted,” he responded mildly. “I am working on the sameplan one acts when he builds a dam in a flowing stream. Little bylittle I build outward, making the territory around the point I haveselected inhabitable. In fact, in addition to creating vegetation onthe moon, I am preparing a livable climate where I anticipateestablishing my colony. I am doing this—first, by locating my site ina deep valley between two high ranges of mountains. Here my lake andvegetation are established in a spot where the sun shines one day outof the twenty-eight, and then not with great heat. The rest of thetime the colony will be shaded from the sun by the high mountains, andyet the valley will have ample light. For heat during the longfourteen days of night I expect to erect a solar heater on the top ofthe mountains, and reflect the rays of the sun into Paradise Valleywith big mirrors. But let us hasten to the conflict. I have not had areal good fight since I was a boy.”

  Joan’s spirits dropped. The giant had been acting so indifferentlythat she had come to the conclusion that he had been bluffing aboutwanting to fight her brother, and that he was simply trying to annoyher with his talk about marrying her. Now she discovered that she wasmistaken.

  She had not seen Toplinsky give a command but as they approached thelarge hangar it seemed as if the entire population had assembled for acelebration. Against the walls of the hangar had been placed a table,a space had been roped off in front of the table, and a temporaryarena made. Toplinsky mounted the table, and addressed the crowd.

  “Do you see this lovely maiden?” he shrilled out in his small voice.“I think that she will make an excellent mate for your leader. Butnotwithstanding the fact that I want her there is a ruling among usthat a man can keep his wife just as long as he is able to do so bymain strength,—provided some other man wants her. Unfortunately for methis lady has a brother, and he is not willing to allow me to take herfor wife. But——”

  He paused and looked down thoughtfully.

  “Really, I had forgotten something. I might buy the lady. Mr. Epworth,I will give you twenty thousand dollars for your permission asguardian to make this girl my wife.”

  Epworth looked at the giant apprehensively, saw that he was soft, andshook his head decidedly.

  “He seems uppish about it,” the giant grinned. “Very well, I shall_kill him with these great bare hands_! I have said. It shall be anopen fight, and no favors.”

  He threw off a long robe, and dropped to the ground. Epworth wassurprised to see that he was clothed in tights, and that his massivechest swelled out like a steam engine expansion.

  The colonists gave a wild cheer. It was plain that they liked aspectacular scrimmage.

  “Bring in the girl and set her on the table,” Toplinsky cried, “andthen put fighting clothes on this Lilliputian.”

  Joan was seated on the table in great state while the guards with raregood humor took Epworth into the hangar and forced him to don tights.When the young American came back to the arena and confrontedToplinsky it was in reality a contest between a Lilliputian and agiant, although Epworth’s figure was beautifully shaped, symmetrical,smooth, and well muscled for his age.

  When the American prisoners saw the difference in weight they groaned.Joan heard the groan and paled. If Epworth was defeated she would takethe first possible chance to commit suicide. Life with the giantmonster was nauseating, horrifying. She thought that she preferreddeath a hundred times. When Epworth passed in front of the table onwhich she was seated as if on a throne her heart went cold. The hairygiant would crush him with ease, and there would be no help for him.Those mighty hands would clench around the boy’s neck, and he wouldnever utter a sound until choked to death.

  Toplinsky meant to kill him. She did not have to be told. Intuitivelyshe recognized the fact that beneath the giant’s sarcastic talk andextravagant boasting there was a great hatred of Epworth. True she hadnot seen the big scientist before this but he had kept her picture fora year; had thumb-marked it until it was black with grime and dirt.She groaned inwardly. This came of too much publicity. How she hatedherself for letting that reporter get her picture in his magazine.Vanity—how she hated her vanity now that it was going to cost her thelife of the only companion she could trust.

  “Ah, he is a bantam, a mere child!” There was a smirk of satisfactionon Toplinsky’s face. “Yet he has the temerity to stand up in front ofme—the great Toplinsky. Friends, comrades,” he made a grandiloquentflourish with his hand, “it is not often that I diverge but when I doit becomes great sport. And this young lady—now hear me. I want he
rbadly but if this bantam wins he shall have her. What I have said Ihave said. The great Toplinsky never goes back on his word. So shallit be. Herloff, announce the approach.”

  A bugle sounded, a drum beat musically, a guard jabbered in a strangelanguage; then in broken English he turned to the American prisoners.

  “When this fight is over,” he said coldly, “this young American willbe dead.”

  The calm statement, authoritatively made, caused Joan to scream.

  “Now, young sir, be on your guard. This is a fight regardless ofMarquis of Queensbury rules.”

  Epworth was considerably astonished at the agile rapidity with whichthe giant sprang forward. His movements were graceful and as lithe asa panther. But the American was ready for him. He had been taughtboxing and wrestling by skilled men. He waited like a post until BillySand, watching with feverish excitement, shouted:

  “Snap into it, kid. For the love of Mike, snap into it! You’refighting for your life!”

  Still he waited until the giant was at his elbow; then he dodged withseeming lack of haste beneath Toplinsky’s extended arms, and planted aheavy jab into the man’s stomach. Then he turned his eyes on Billy,and nodded. He was pleased to see Billy still alive.

  But Toplinsky’s stomach was cast iron and copper bottomed, and just aslight hesitation flickered across his face. Epworth paled slightly.He had to subdue this man by constant, steady, repeated body blows. Tostrike him on the head, was like butting into a brick wall with hisfist, and the first blow indicated that the soft portions ofToplinsky’s body were as hard as his head.

  Toplinsky whirled like an automaton, and rushed with clenched hands.If he landed his blow Epworth would be knocked cold. But it seemed asif Epworth did not see his danger.

  “Hey, kid!” Billy howled. “Look out for that John L. rush.”

  Billy’s voice was instantly checked by a guard who put his hand overhis mouth and jabbed a gun into his side. Epworth, however, caught thefeeling of sympathy, and waved his hand. It did him good to know thatBilly was at hand to cheer him.

  But he did not need the warning.

  His footwork was smooth, and the giant pounded air. Again Epworth’sright found lodging in the giant’s abdomen, and he grunted a little,faintly, and advanced with fists on guard.

  It was evident that he knew a little about boxing, and Epworth’s heartweakened. He had been counting on Toplinsky’s ignorance. If the manwas only partially skilled his great weight, long reach, and massivepower gave him the decided advantage. Yet the young American, though alittle doubtful, had no intention of permitting fear to gainpossession of him. Fear, he knew, would result in quick defeat.

  He sprang forward like a catapult, dodged downward just as the giantmet him with a terrific blow at his face, and got in two good blowsbefore Toplinsky could regain his equilibrium. Then with deft footworkhe slipped beneath the giant’s arms, battered him in the rear of hisshort ribs, and darted out of reach.

  “Atta boy! At——”

  But again Billy’s mouth was choked off.

  Toplinsky did not speak. Very quietly he paused, and studied hisopponent attentively. It was a menacing, cruel, determined gaze. Joancaught his facial expression and suppressed a cry of terror. She wasbeginning to think that Epworth was a great fighter for one so smalland that he might whip this enormous beast but that if he didToplinsky would break his promise, and be more terrifying in defeatthan in victory. His cruel red face expressed this thought. Sheshuddered, and glanced helplessly at the colonists who were backingToplinsky. They were grim visaged and fierce, and there was smallpromise of help in that mass of intent, unsympathetic faces.

  Her thoughts were broken by Epworth. The American made a dash as if heintended to strike the giant in the face. Toplinsky covered and shothis hands up in front of his face. Instantly Epworth stopped his rush,and kicked his opponent with all the force of his leg and foot in thepit of the stomach. The giant doubled up with a groan, and instantlyEpworth sent a mighty right hand blow to the back of his neck.

  Toplinsky went down, his followers groaned, and the Americans sent upa shout of triumph.

  It was short-lived. The giant in falling threw out his right andencircled Epworth’s neck. When he got to his feet with his handsaround the American’s neck he gave a ferocious grin, and stuck hisface, streaming with blood, against Epworth, at the same time jabbingthe American with his left. Epworth retaliated with a short hand jabinto the scientist’s stomach. Again the giant’s mighty left landed inthe American’s face. If he could not soon break loose from theterrific embrace around the neck his face would be pounded to a jelly.

  Bending his head he lifted his feet, permitting the giant to sustainhis weight for a fraction of moment, and doubling up slammed both feetwith all of his strength into Toplinsky’s abdomen. In order to sustainhis footing the giant held him up, and then slammed his terrible lefton his nose. The blood spurted out like a pump working but inregaining his equilibrium Toplinsky slightly relieved the stranglehold around the American’s neck. Taking the blow in his face, quick asthought Epworth struck back with all of his strength, landing beneaththe giant’s chin. He had his mouth open at the time, and his tonguewas caught between his teeth.

  It was not a severe blow but it caused Toplinsky to bite his tongue.The pain was so severe that for a second he released his grip aroundEpworth’s neck. Epworth slid out of the clinch, and feeble-footedaside. He was sick and groggy from that awful left hand, and yet herealized that if the man had been hammering him with his right insteadof his left the fight would have ended quickly.

  Toplinsky, recognizing his advantage, rushed him, giving him no timeto recover from the shock of the clinch. Unable to strike Epworthdodged. In this he was far superior to his enemy. Now he darted rightand left, and remained out of reach of those mighty arms. Thus hebegan to regain his breath.

  “Keep away from him, kid,” Billy howled. “Don’t try any more stunts.Give him shots in the stomach.”

  Epworth kept away for a time but he couldn’t knock a man out runningfrom him, and when he recovered somewhat he wheeled as if to run intothe giant, who was chasing him around in a circle. Toplinsky stoppedto throw up his guard, and envelop the American again with his greatarms. He failed. Epworth shot in two punches, and got away, althoughhe was sighing for a gong to sound to end a round.

  But this was not a battle by rounds, and now a scheme entered his mindto tire out the giant. Still dizzy and with his eye closing he beganto invite the giant to chase him. Toplinsky, foolishly thinking thathe was weakening, made repeated rushes. Epworth avoided them as ifweary and lacking energy.

  The scientist’s admirers now sent up a whoop of triumph. It looked asif the American was whipped.

  Toplinsky chased until he began to blow slightly. This was whatEpworth was waiting for. Wheeling, while seeming to run away, hecharged into Toplinsky’s face. To the observer it looked as if he wasrunning into certain destruction. Billy was the first to groan; hisfellow countrymen followed. The colonists cheered.

  Toplinsky smiled, showing his horse teeth in pleasant good humor. Hewould catch this young American by the nape of the neck and crush thelife out of him. First, however, he would cover his face and protecthimself from the American’s blow.

  It was a terrible mistake. Never before had Epworth driven a body blowwith such terrific force. He put all of his strength and the fullweight of his body, and landed in the giant’s stomach.

  To the great astonishment of the observers Toplinsky staggered, andbefore he could regain his footing Epworth landed another under hischin, a fierce swipe. The last blow rolled the giant over. But he wasdown for only a second. In getting up he ran into some angry punchesbelow the belt. They made him sick, weakened him, but he struck theAmerican angrily in the face, peeling the skin from beneath Epworth’seyes, and staggering him. Again the American got in his fast footwork,backed away, and returned with another rush into the giant’s stomach.

  Strong as he was this rush doubled Toplinsky a
gain, and before hecould straighten up Epworth was hammering him from the left side belowthe belt. With a mighty effort the giant closed his eyes to the pain,and jabbed with all of his strength. Epworth caught the blow on hischest, and struck the ground on his back. Behind it there was enoughpower to knock down a horse.

  With a shrill scream like a wild animal Toplinsky plunged at him.Epworth had just enough energy to lift his foot and kick the rusher inthe stomach. The kick landed by accident in the exact spot where theAmerican’s fist had been hammering. Toplinsky stopped short, turnedwhite, and hunched over.

  Hope swept again into Epworth’s heart, and with a bound he was on hisfeet. Now he danced around Toplinsky like a bull fighter. Flashing inand out, his swift blows were delivered into the unprotected part ofthe giant’s anatomy, finding soft places. Twice he struck at thegiant’s face, closing both eyes. This however only served to giveToplinsky some relief from his abdomen pains, and he rushed.

  But Epworth was now going strong, and was wary.

  He foot-worked, dodged in and out, and kept his enemy breathing hard.Never for a second would he permit those giant hands to get to hisbody or face. In and out, like a shadow, quick as a wink, he poundedwithout getting anything in return, seeking the vulnerable spots.

  With a sudden howl of anger Toplinsky dropped his guard, and sprang athim. If he could just get his hands on this fleet-footed foe. If——

  But he spent his energy in the rush, and Epworth was not there.Instead he was delivering those aggravating blows at the solar plexus.Toplinsky paused, whirled half around, and snarled like a wild animal.It was an unfortunate thing for him to do. Epworth rushed him, sent apowerful blow into the lower regions and before the giant couldstraighten up, or attempt to defend himself he slammed him along theside of his left ear, and rolled him over. It was the first time thatToplinsky had been floored until he could not readily get to his feet.

  Epworth saw his condition, and did not pause. Dropping on top of hisfoe’s body, he pounded him on both sides of his abdomen with terriblepunches. He was getting a little weak himself, and realized that whathe did must be done quickly.

  “Take him off!” Toplinsky gasped in terror. “Help! Quick, com——”

  Epworth closed his mouth with a solar plexus blow that put him out.Then he rose slowly and faced the arena. In front of him were over athousand frowning colonists, hard featured, cruel men, with guns intheir hands. They were eyeing him threateningly.

  Joan saw the menacing glances, and cried out. She felt sure that thesemaddened men would not do the fair thing by the brother who had foughtfor her so gallantly—to the uttermost end of his strength. She alsofeared for herself.

  These men who did not hesitate to shoot down airships, and steal,would shoot them later without mercy.