k out!" Scotty yelled. He flung his coke into the face of the chair
wielder, then jumped to grab the chair. The Portuguese, who had swung
the bottle, threw it at Scotty, missed, and knocked the glass out of the
hand of a Sikh seated at a near-by table. The Sikh rose with a battle
yell and leaped.

Rick lost track after that. For a moment he stood amazed, then jumped to
help Chahda, who was being tackled from behind by one of the Portuguese.
Canton Charlie's was in an uproar. The fight had spread like fire in
dead leaves. Rick hadn't been aware of the place filling up, but it was
definitely full. Bottles and glasses flew.

He ducked a wild swing with a chair, then as he stood up he brought the
table with him, dumping it over on three Chinese who were struggling
with Scotty. A fist caught him behind the ear. He kicked backward, then
whirled, his elbow catching a Filipino sailor in the chest. The Filipino
sprawled backward.

A bottle whizzed past Rick's ear. He ducked, then rushed to Zircon. The
big scientist was holding a British seaman in each hand, busily knocking
their heads together. Scotty rose out of his path, swinging. A Eurasian
who had been about to swing with a bottle stopped short, swaying, as
Scotty's fist connected. The bottle dropped on Chahda, who was crawling
out from under a table.

An American sailor rushed past, one arm catching Rick and sending him
sprawling. Rick swung wildly, and pulled his punch just in time to keep
from bashing Keaton-Yeats, who was busy with a swarthy man with gold
rings in his ears. The place was a madhouse. Bradley went headlong at
Rick's feet, jumped up again like a rubber ball, and plunged into the
fray. Rick saw with amazement that he was grinning from ear to ear.

A Portuguese rose from nowhere and aimed a roundhouse swing at Rick's
head. He ducked, then put all his weight into an overhand chop, missed,
and fell against the Portuguese. The man threw him off and caught him
behind the ear with a short hook. Rick shook his head, dazed. Another
punch caught him on the cheek. He lost his temper then and flailed out.
One fist connected solidly. The Portuguese vanished, to be replaced by
someone else. Rick swung until his arms were leaden. Then, in the midst
of the turmoil, came a stentorian bellow.

"Here! Listen!"

He turned. Canton Charlie was standing on the bar, and a sawed-off
shotgun roamed impartially over the crowd. "The first man who pulls a
knife gets this!" he s