THE OTHER WORLD - Vb-tech.co.za

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx THE OTHER WORLD xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To his astonishment there were no
takers. Escape was something with which
none of them cared to meddle. He tried
urging. No success.
“Let me talk to them,” Lanta said
grimly.
The girl confronted the others and
said a great deal, most of it sounding as if it
was partly vitriol. She used words to whip,
cajole, shame and urge. Eventually she got a
small froth of courage lashed up.
The men formed the pyramid. Doc
got on their shoulders, exerted force, rocked
the stone until the log rolled off, then shoved
the boulder aside and clambered out.
Below him, his helpers hastily
scattered to farther recesses of the slave
cave.
The log had made quite a crash in
falling. It alarmed the cavern men, and
several came running. Aulf was among the
leaders.
There being no avenue of flight
except back into the slave quarters, Doc
confronted them.
Aulf gripped his club, and came
forward menacingly.
DOC SAVAGE had determined upon
a course of action that might—or might not—
work. The cavern men had primitive
intellects, and from what he had seen of
them, he judged that they admired physical
bravery and strength above all else. At least,
they were impressed by it. The domination
which the huge, oafish Aulf exerted over
them showed that.
Aulf jumped up and down, apefashion.
He made faces. He threw back his
head and roared.
Doc did the same thing—with
trimmings. Instead of merely jumping, he
turned several flips and handsprings, an
accomplishment which was made even
easier because of the appreciably lessened
force of gravity. He made faces—they must
have been very ferocious, judging from the
effects. And he yelled.
Aulf was as amazed as the others.
Then it dawned on him that he had been
outdone, and he launched into a fresh
exhibition.
When it came Doc’s turn, he bested
his previous effort. Particularly on the yelling
part—he added whistles, howls and several
Bronx cheers for effect.
43
Unfortunately, in the middle of the
display, it occurred to him how silly the whole
thing would look to a bystander, and he
stopped, embarrassed.
Aulf took the bronze man’s hesitancy
as a sign of defeat.
Bellowing his frightening best, Aulf
lunged in and delivered a tremendous blow
with his club. It was a long-armed swing, and
Doc ducked under it. Having ducked, he
stepped in and drove his fist against Aulf’s
solar plexus. Aulf’s stomach muscles felt as
hard as metal, giving him some idea of how
tough the fight was going to be.
Aulf snorted, used his club again.
Once more, he missed. Doc got his arms,
began working with jujitsu. Aulf’s apish bones
and ligaments were as subject to jujitsu
manipulation as those of an ordinary man.
The squalling which Aulf did was
remarkable. He clung to the club stubbornly,
but finally had to let go.
He had been hurt. He fell on the floor
and had a species of screaming spasm,
evidently intended to show just how angry he
was.
In the middle of Aulf’s temperamental
display, Doc walked over unkindly and
cracked him behind the ear with a fist. Aulf
shot to his feet, roared and rushed.
The fight now was distinctly onesided,
Aulf having no knowledge of boxing
science. Once he did get hold of Doc
Savage, and attempted to sink his teeth into
the bronze man’s jugular, which appeared to
be inside the local Queensberry rules, for the
spectators jumped up and down and howled
in excitement, thinking the fight was over.
Aulf had a glass jaw. Doc was rather
glad when he discovered that, for Aulf had
him outclassed as to strength and endurance
of an animal kind.
A right to the jaw put Aulf down on
his pants. He batted his eyes, looked
surprised. He got up, was down again.
Cunningly, he tried to keep one hand over
the end of his jaw when he got up the next
time. However, he moved the hand
instinctively when Doc feinted at his eyes,
and the bronze man sat him down again.
This time, Aulf remained sitting there
with his eyes closed. Doc gave him a shove,
and he upset, but did not move otherwise.
Aulf was kayoed.