"Here comes Old Fireball and there's that certain look in his eyes. Watch this. It's going to be good."
How good it was going to be even the hardened reporters did not know.
Old Simeon moved swiftly through them, paying no attention as they scattered from his path. Jericho Foote rose to meet him. A slight alarm assailed him, but it passed. After all, there were plenty of witnesses around.
"Well, if it isn't Kenton!" he exclaimed. "You're looking—"
Simeon said nothing. He lashed out swiftly with his cane. It caught Foote on the shoulder. lie staggered back, crying out. Simeon followed relentlessly. Thwack! Swish! Crack!
The cane whistled and sang about Foote's ears, slashed his body, cut down his up flung arm, thumped across his back as he turned to flee. Foote screamed for help, yelled for mercy. But still the cane sang and danced. It was whispered later that the reporters did not interfere until Foote had been soundly and thoroughly beaten, and then only because, after all, they didn't want actual murder committed. They didn't like Foote.
Foote was carried to bed and Kenton sallied triumphantly into the street. Foote commenced action against Kenton for fifty thousand dollars for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and intent of mayhem. Kenton counterclaimed for one hundred thousand dollars for slander and innuendo that his, Kenton's reputation wasn't all that it might be.
Planets rubbed its collective hands and looked forward with glee to a fine summer.
Roger Horn and Captain Ball arrived almost simultaneously; Horn puffing and gasping from the urgency of his call, the captain burning with desire for revenge against all and sundry.
Horn listened and hemmed and hawed. When the captain was through he looked worried. "Of course . . . hem . . . we have a good cause of action against these . . . haw . . . highjackers; if they can be found."
"To hell with them!" yelled Simeon. "I want you to get that asteroid back and get that Venusian swamp snake, Foote, in the bargain."
Horn cleared his throat. "Well, in the first place," he said judicially, "Captain Ball admits he can't prove in a court of law that these . . . hem . . . scoundrels were hired by Foote."
"I can't," growled Ball.
"Therefore, Foote is an . . . ahem . . . innocent purchaser for value, and whatever claim of forcible entry and detainer may be alleged against his . . . haw . . . sellers cannot be imputed to him."
"Dadfoozle it!" shouted Simeon. "I didn't need you to tell me that. Any law apprentice could 've told me the same thing. I’m paying you disgusting sums to tell me how to get things done, not why they can't be done. I'll bet that scaddlewagged Dale would've—"
Horn winced. Damn Dale! He was sick and tired of hearing his name thrown in his false teeth every time. Then he brightened. He put on an air of dignity. "Speaking . . . ahem . . . Ofthis . . . ah . . . young Dale, you lost whatever claim you might have had on the asteroid by assigning your rights to him. I have examined the document, Mr. Kenton, and I assure you it was properly drawn."
Simeon deflated. "Huh? Yeah—I suppose so." Then he, too, brightened. "Anyway, dadburn him! He outsmarted himself this time. Salvage would have amounted to over a hundred thousand. Instead, all he's got is a worthless assignment." He turned suddenly on Horn. "You're sure, though, it is worthless?"
"As sure as I am of anything. I'm willing to stake my reputation—"
"Huh!" Old Simeon's snort was plainer than words. "Then how about getting after him for towing Ball to Ganymede?"
"Well . . . hem . . . I'll have to consult my books—"
"You won't have to," Ball said bitterly. "Dale consulted them before he started. He found a decision which permitted him to head for the nearest port, which was Ganymede City. You'll find it, my dear Mr. Horn," he added with biting sarcasm, "in the Decisions of the Interplanetary Commission, Volume 53, Page 209."
"But why did he take you there?" demanded
How good it was going to be even the hardened reporters did not know.
Old Simeon moved swiftly through them, paying no attention as they scattered from his path. Jericho Foote rose to meet him. A slight alarm assailed him, but it passed. After all, there were plenty of witnesses around.
"Well, if it isn't Kenton!" he exclaimed. "You're looking—"
Simeon said nothing. He lashed out swiftly with his cane. It caught Foote on the shoulder. lie staggered back, crying out. Simeon followed relentlessly. Thwack! Swish! Crack!
The cane whistled and sang about Foote's ears, slashed his body, cut down his up flung arm, thumped across his back as he turned to flee. Foote screamed for help, yelled for mercy. But still the cane sang and danced. It was whispered later that the reporters did not interfere until Foote had been soundly and thoroughly beaten, and then only because, after all, they didn't want actual murder committed. They didn't like Foote.
Foote was carried to bed and Kenton sallied triumphantly into the street. Foote commenced action against Kenton for fifty thousand dollars for assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and intent of mayhem. Kenton counterclaimed for one hundred thousand dollars for slander and innuendo that his, Kenton's reputation wasn't all that it might be.
Planets rubbed its collective hands and looked forward with glee to a fine summer.
Roger Horn and Captain Ball arrived almost simultaneously; Horn puffing and gasping from the urgency of his call, the captain burning with desire for revenge against all and sundry.
Horn listened and hemmed and hawed. When the captain was through he looked worried. "Of course . . . hem . . . we have a good cause of action against these . . . haw . . . highjackers; if they can be found."
"To hell with them!" yelled Simeon. "I want you to get that asteroid back and get that Venusian swamp snake, Foote, in the bargain."
Horn cleared his throat. "Well, in the first place," he said judicially, "Captain Ball admits he can't prove in a court of law that these . . . hem . . . scoundrels were hired by Foote."
"I can't," growled Ball.
"Therefore, Foote is an . . . ahem . . . innocent purchaser for value, and whatever claim of forcible entry and detainer may be alleged against his . . . haw . . . sellers cannot be imputed to him."
"Dadfoozle it!" shouted Simeon. "I didn't need you to tell me that. Any law apprentice could 've told me the same thing. I’m paying you disgusting sums to tell me how to get things done, not why they can't be done. I'll bet that scaddlewagged Dale would've—"
Horn winced. Damn Dale! He was sick and tired of hearing his name thrown in his false teeth every time. Then he brightened. He put on an air of dignity. "Speaking . . . ahem . . . Ofthis . . . ah . . . young Dale, you lost whatever claim you might have had on the asteroid by assigning your rights to him. I have examined the document, Mr. Kenton, and I assure you it was properly drawn."
Simeon deflated. "Huh? Yeah—I suppose so." Then he, too, brightened. "Anyway, dadburn him! He outsmarted himself this time. Salvage would have amounted to over a hundred thousand. Instead, all he's got is a worthless assignment." He turned suddenly on Horn. "You're sure, though, it is worthless?"
"As sure as I am of anything. I'm willing to stake my reputation—"
"Huh!" Old Simeon's snort was plainer than words. "Then how about getting after him for towing Ball to Ganymede?"
"Well . . . hem . . . I'll have to consult my books—"
"You won't have to," Ball said bitterly. "Dale consulted them before he started. He found a decision which permitted him to head for the nearest port, which was Ganymede City. You'll find it, my dear Mr. Horn," he added with biting sarcasm, "in the Decisions of the Interplanetary Commission, Volume 53, Page 209."
"But why did he take you there?" demanded
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