The Moon Colony

o Crush

plinsky shot his eyes around the room for a second, and then bounded forward with energet

nd he turned a man upside down,

ntil we can grow vegetables. We must have nitrogen free for the atmosphere, and we must also have it fixed so that we can charge the new atmosphere with electric currents and cause it to rain on the face of the moon. Yes, I, the great Toplinsky, tell you all these things, and yet you attend

and Epworth, all traces of anger disappearing. Epworth and his sister looked at each other in a puzzled way. Was

was making. "I, the great Toplinsky, do more than shoot packages of NH? to the moon. I s

to Epworth. The young A

ted so violently to my marrying this young

f he went into a fight with him it would be a very desperate affair. He glanced at Joan. She was

sister. She shall marry when sh

atitude. She had great confidence

assed out of the house. As he walked from the big building he waved h

s of ice, and then give the projectiles a start into space. Lean heavily, my dear bantam, lean heavily on this point. The projectile I shoot leaves the earth at a speed of 6.77 miles per second; that speed carries it beyond th

"Why do you shoot so accurately? Why n

ipate establishing my colony. I am doing this-first, by locating my site in a deep valley between two high ranges of mountains. Here my lake and vegetation are established in a spot where the sun shines one day out of the twenty-eight, and then not with great heat. The rest of the time the colony will be shaded from the sun by

nclusion that he had been bluffing about wanting to fight her brother, and that he was simply

lation had assembled for a celebration. Against the walls of the hangar had been placed a table, a space had been

standing the fact that I want her there is a ruling among us that a man can keep his wife just as long as he is able to do so by main strength,

looked down

. Mr. Epworth, I will give you twenty thousand dollars f

rehensively, saw that he was so

well, I shall kill him with these great bare hands! I

was surprised to see that he was clothed in tights, and tha

eer. It was plain that they

table," Toplinsky cried, "and then put

to don tights. When the young American came back to the arena and confronted Toplinsky it was in reality a contest between a

the giant monster was nauseating, horrifying. She thought that she preferred death a hundred times. When Epworth passed in front of the table on which she was seated as if on a throne her heart wen

e she had not seen the big scientist before this but he had kept her picture for a year; had thumb-marked it until it was black with grime and dirt. She groaned inwardly. This came of too much public

omrades," he made a grandiloquent flourish with his hand, "it is not often that I diverge but when I do it becomes great sport. And this young lady-now hear me. I want her ba

d jabbered in a strange language; then in brok

he said coldly, "this you

uthoritatively made,

rd. This is a fight regardless

were graceful and as lithe as a panther. But the American was ready for him. He had been taught boxing and

ove of Mike, snap into it! Yo

aste beneath Toplinsky's extended arms, and planted a heavy jab into the man's stomach.

d slightly. He had to subdue this man by constant, steady, repeated body blows. To strike him on the head, was like butting int

ched hands. If he landed his blow Epworth would be knocke

owled. "Look out fo

nd jabbed a gun into his side. Epworth, however, caught the feeling of sympathy,

not need

pworth's right found lodging in the giant's abdomen, and he

man was only partially skilled his great weight, long reach, and massive power gave him the decided advantage. Yet the young American

face, and got in two good blows before Toplinsky could regain his equilibrium. Then with deft footwork

boy!

ly's mouth wa

nk that Epworth was a great fighter for one so small and that he might whip this enormous beast but that if he did Toplinsky would break his promise, and be more terrifying in defeat than in victory. His cruel red face e

ot his hands up in front of his face. Instantly Epworth stopped his rush, and kicked his opponent with all the force of his leg and foot

owers groaned, and the Americ

in, and stuck his face, streaming with blood, against Epworth, at the same time jabbing the American with his left. Epworth retaliated with a short hand jab into the scientist's s

ooting the giant held him up, and then slammed his terrible left on his nose. The blood spurted out like a pump working but in regaining his equilibrium Toplinsky slightly relieved the strangle hold around the Americ

around Epworth's neck. Epworth slid out of the clinch, and feeble-footed aside. He was sick and groggy from that awful left hand,

he clinch. Unable to strike Epworth dodged. In this he was far superior to his enemy. Now he darted

howled. "Don't try any more stunt

n into the giant, who was chasing him around in a circle. Toplinsky stopped to throw up his guard, and envelop the American again wi

dizzy and with his eye closing he began to invite the giant to chase him. Toplinsky, foolishly think

t up a whoop of triumph. It look

seeming to run away, he charged into Toplinsky's face. To the observer it looked as if he was running int

this young American by the nape of the neck and crush the life out of him. Firs

dy blow with such terrific force. He put all of his strength an

iant over. But he was down for only a second. In getting up he ran into some angry punches below the belt. They made him sick, weakened him, but he struck the American angrily in the f

t side below the belt. With a mighty effort the giant closed his eyes to the pain, and jabbed with all of his strength. Epwo

lift his foot and kick the rusher in the stomach. The kick landed by accident in the exact spot wh

ing in and out, his swift blows were delivered into the unprotected part of the giant's anatomy, finding soft places. Twice he struck

now going stro

ould he permit those giant hands to get to his body or face. In and out, like a shadow, qu

his guard, and sprang at him. If he could ju

ed like a wild animal. It was an unfortunate thing for him to do. Epworth rushed him, sent a powerful blow into the lower regions and before the giant could straighten up, or attempt

, he pounded him on both sides of his abdomen with terrible punches. He was get

nsky gasped in terror

wly and faced the arena. In front of him were over a thousand frowning colonists, ha

ned men would not do the fair thing by the brother who had fought for her so

shoot down airships, and steal, wo