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trying to breakMaloon's neck, but the big man was smart and went with him, and
they fell together.
On the groundMaloon was a demon. Lightning fast, he swung around and stabbed
a stiff thumb for Fallon's eye. Narrowly missing, the hard nail, deliberately
scraped and filed until it had grown to unusual thickness and pointed as a
weapon, ripped a gash in the side of Fallon's face from the corner of his eye
almost back to his ear.
Wild with fear for his eyes, Fallon scrambled to get up, butMaloon got
astride him and drew his big fist back for a killing blow. Fallon threw up his
feet and caughtMaloon across the face with his crossed legs, snapping him
back.
Torn loose from each other, both men scrambled to their feet, and Fallon
ripped intoMaloon , swinging with both fists, butMaloon stood his ground,
punching hard and fast. The fists of both men were like clubs.
Toe to toe for almost a minute, they slugged wildly, then broke apart as if
on command, and circled. Fallon's cut was bleeding badly; there was a huge
welt under the other eye and a cut on his jaw.Maloon had an eye almost closed
and a split lip.
They were fighting with animal ferocity,Maloon like a cornered grizzly,
Fallon like a mountain lion. Fallon was relentless, always moving, always
crowding;Maloon circled warily, quick to counter. Both were shrewd fighters,
terrible fighters; both were victors in many a riverside or waterfront brawl.
They broke away from each other and each stepped to the side of the circle.
Brennan doused Fallon with water, touched the bloody cut with the towel,
dabbing away the blood. "Box him, man!" he whispered hoarsely. "That's a brute
you have there!"
They came together, and Fallon feinted, then stabbed a left to the mouth. He
slipped under a left and smashed a right to the ribs. He side-stepped as the
big man threw a right, and countered swiftly, joltingMaloon . He started to
side-step again, caught a right, and was knocked down.
He dove away from a kick, came up to his knees, and asMaloon rushed him,
swinging another kick, Fallon threw his weight againstMaloon's anchored leg,
knocking him down.
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Maloonwas up first, but Fallon swung his weight on his hands and kicked out
behind him with both feet, kicking waist high in a move used by the
Frenchlasavate fighters. Both feet caughtMaloon coming in and knocked him,
sprawling and surprised, into a heap.
Fallon came up fast and swung a kick forMaloon's chin that missed as the big
head ducked, but catching it with a glancing blow that sentMaloon sprawling
into the dust again.
ButMaloon was up and charging. His big head caught Fallon in the belly,
smashing him back, every bit of wind knocked from him.Maloon's charge carried
him on over Fallon, and he scrambled to his feet and turned to find Fallon
staggering weakly to his feet.
Maloonrushed in, smashing a tremendous blow to Fallon's head that started him
down. The second blow caught him falling and lost some of its force, but it
laid Fallon's cheek open to the bone. He went down hard on his back andMaloon
rushed in for the kill.
Unable to get up, Fallon rolled to left and right, trying desperately to
avoid the kicks that might, any one of them, kill him or break his skull.
Staggering from the force of a kick,Maloon was carried on by him, and Fallon
managed to get up. His lungs gasped for breath, every inhalation like a knife
thrust into his chest. His head rang from the blows he had taken; he was
punch-drunk with the fight. He had forgotten where he was or what was the
issue at stake; he only knew that he must kill or be killed.
He waited, hands hanging, and SpikeMaloon came to him. The big man had been
shocked by the skill of Fallon, and by the force of the blows he had taken,
but now he was sure. He had his man.
He was not only a big man, he was tremendously strong. Now he struck a light
blow to the face, testing Fallon's responses. He drew no return, but he was
wary. He feinted a left, and then as Fallon struck out, he brushed the blow
aside and knocked him down with his right. But Fallon, surprisingly, got up.
SpikeMaloon was suddenly worried. He had struck with his hardest punches, and
he had knocked Fallon down ... time and again. But he always got up. Now he
must put him down and keep him down. This time he must put him on the ground,
then jump on him and kick the life out of him, and quickly.
The watchers, hoarse from shouting, were silent now, shocked by the ferocity
of the battle they watched. It was like two primeval men fighting far away in
the past ... like two utterly savage cavemen.
Maloonmoved in. He had fought hard, but he had his second wind, and Fallon
was finished. He struck out with a left ... it landed. He struck again ... it
landed. He struck again ... and suddenly his left arm was seized and he was
thrown over Fallon's back with a flying mare. He hit the ground with a thud
and Fallon fell upon him, a knee driving into his solar plexus as Fallon came
down, then that same knee smashing up to hit his chin.
A terrible light burst inMaloon's skull. He fought himself free, and got up.
His jaw was broken, smashed at the hinges and hanging free.
His hands ... he had to get Fallon in his hands. Curling a bulky arm around
his jaw, he charged to get close, swinging with his right fist. Fallon brought
up hard against the hitch rail andMaloon's big hand grasped his windpipe.
Fallon tried to get atMaloon's eyes but the big man ducked his head low.
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Lifting a boot, Fallon smashed down with the side of the boot againstMaloon's
shinbone, the heel driving down hard onMaloon's foot. But the bigger man clung
grimly to his grip on thethoat .
Fallon smashed up hard againstMaloon's elbow, the elbow of the arm that was
gripping his throat, and at the same time he reached over with his right hand
and dug his fingers into the palm of the gripping hand. Retaining his hold, he
ripped the hand free from his throat and, turning quickly, gripping the hand
and pushing down on the elbow, he sentMaloon stumbling, bent over and head
down. He fell, and lay still, face down in the dust.
Macon Fallon staggered toward him, then his knees folded and he fell. He
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