no science in the thing which faced him. Had
there been trained skill the second blow would have knocked Silent
unconscious, and he knew it, but Dan made no effort to strike a
vulnerable spot. He hit at anything which offered.

Still he laughed as he leaped back and forth. Perhaps mere weight of
rushing would beat the dancing will-o'-the-wisp to the floor. Silent
bored in with lowered head and clutched at his enemy. Then he roared
with triumph. His outstretched hand caught Dan's shirt as the latter
flicked to one side. Instantly they were locked in each other's arms!
The most meaning part of the fight followed.

The moment after they grappled, Silent shifted his right arm from its
crushing grip on Dan's body and clutched at the throat. The move was
as swift as lightning, but the parry of the smaller man was still
quicker. His left hand clutched Silent by the wrist, and that mighty
sweep of arm was stopped in mid-air! They were in the middle of the
room. They stood perfectly erect and close together, embraced. Their
position had a ludicrous resemblance to the posture of dancers, but
their bodies were trembling with effort. With every ounce of power in
his huge frame Silent strove to complete his grip at the throat.
He felt the right arm of Dan tightening around him closer, closer,
closer! It was not a bulky arm, but it seemed to be made of linked
steel which was shrinking into him, and promised to crush his very
bones. The strength of this man seemed to increase. It was limitless.
His breath came struggling under that pressure and the blood thundered
and raged in his temples. If he could only get at that soft throat!

But his struggling right hand was held in a vice of iron. Now his numb
arm gave way, slowly, inevitably. He ground his teeth and cursed. His
curse was half a prayer. For answer there was the unearthly chuckle
just below his ear. His hand was moved back, down, around! He was
helpless as a child in the arms of its father--no, helpless as a sheep
in the constricting coils of a python.

An impulse of frantic horror and shame and fear gave him redoubled
strength for an instant. He tore himself clear and reeled back. Dan
planted two smashes on Silent's snarling mouth. A glance showed the
large man the mute, strained faces around the room. The laughing devil
leaped again. Then all pride slipped like water from the heart of Jim
Silent, and in its place there was only icy fear, fear not of a man,
but of animal