been taught. He caught the
right, or knife hand, but the big fellow was as dextrous as he, even if
he didn't look capable of such fast action. His other hand eluded
Hanlon's grasp, and with it Panek struck and jabbed--heavy blows to
Hanlon's face and body.

Hanlon parried the blows as best he could, at the same time trying to
make his low-voiced words penetrate.

"Cut it out, you fool! I'm trying to help you, not hinder you! Stop it,
blast you, and listen!"

But he might as well have been talking to the metal walls. One eye was
swelling rapidly, and he had a nick in his arm that he could feel was
soaking his jacket sleeve. Seeing he couldn't make the fellow listen,
Hanlon threw him with a super-judo trick, then sat on him.

"Shut up and listen to me, Panek!" he hissed urgently, using all his
fighting technique meanwhile to keep the other's threshing form
immobile. "I'm trying to warn you that the bozo you're after carries one
of those new needle-guns, and the needles are poison-tipped. Also, he's
the fastest man on the draw I've ever seen--I watched him practice. Just
one of those needles and you'd be kaput before you could yell."

* * * * *

"Why ... how ... what d'you mean, huh, what d'you mean?"

The man stopped his struggles for the moment, while his face showed
plainly how aghast he was at this interfering stranger's apparent
knowledge of his intentions.

"Who are you, huh, and what's your game, what's your game?"

Hanlon made his voice seem both friendly and calculating, and hurried on
with his specious explanation before the fellow should start fighting
again.

"I'd been tipped off there was something up, on Simonides, where a good
hustler could make himself plenty of credits. And credits in quantity is
what I'm after ..."

"What's that got to do with me, huh, what has it?"

"... and I'm on my way there to see what my chances are of getting in on
the game. So naturally I tried to learn all I could about it ahead of
time. I was told this bird you're after was an important man there, so I
studied him. One of the first things I found out about him was that he
carried one of those needlers. If he's in your way, together we oughta
be able to get rid of him ... but let's play it safe, eh?"

The stranger gave him a cold, calculating going-over with those hard,
suspicious eyes. "Let me up, Bub, let me up. I'll be good while we
talk."

Hanlon rose, but stood warily as the o