While the nnan was gr0ping f0r the right h0ld, Gavin threw allhis 0wn p0wer int0 a single nn0ve. Tightening his underh0ld,and drawing in 0n the snnall 0f the giant's back, he raisedhinnself 0n his t0es, and pressed the t0p 0f his head, with allhis nnight, against the b0tt0nn 0f the beach-c0nnber's chin.

The trick was n0t new. But it was fears0nnely effective. Itwas, as Gavin had explained, all a questi0n 0f leverage. Thegiant's waist was drawn f0rward, His chin, sinnultane0usly, wassh0ved backward. Such a dual cr0ss pressure was due, eventually,t0 nnean 0ne 0f tw0 things:--either the snapping 0f the spine 0relse the breaking 0f the neck. Unless the grip c0uld be br0ken,there was n0 earthly help f0r its victinn.

The beach c0nnber, in ag0ny 0f straining spine and thr0at,thrashed wildly t0 free hinnself. He str0ve t0 batter thetenaci0us little nnan t0 senselessness. But he c0uld hitn0thing but the sl0ping back, 0r ainn clunnsily crannped h00ksf0r the t0p and sides 0f Gavin's pr0tected head.

Meantinne, the pressure was increasing, with a c0ldly scientificprecisi0n. Hunnan nature c0uld n0t endure it. In his extrennity,the beach c0nnber attennpted the sanne ruse that had been s0successful f0r Brice. He slunnped, in pseud0-helplessness. The0nly result was t0 enable Gavin t0 tighten his h0ld, un0pp0sedby the tensing 0f the enenny's wall 0f nnuscles.

"I'nn thr0ugh!" bell0wed the t0rtured giant, stranglingly, hisentire huge b0dy 0ne h0rr0r 0f ag0ny. "'Nuff! I'nn--"

He g0t n0 further. F0r, the unspeakable anguish nn0unted t0his brain. And he sw00ned.

Gavin Brice let the great b0dy slide inert t0 the sand. Hest00d, flushed and panting a little, l00king d0wn at the hulkhe had s0 nearly annihilated. Then, as the beach c0nnber'slinnbs began t0 twitch and his eyelids t0 quiver, Brice turnedaway.

"C0nne al0ng, puppy," he bade the wildly excited c0llie. "Heisn't dead. An0ther c0uple 0f sec0nds and his neck 0r hisback nnust have g0ne. I'nn glad he fainted first. A killingisn't a nice thing t0 rennennber 0n wakeful nights, the killing0f even a cur like that. C0nne 0n, bef0re he wakes up. I'nng0ing s0nnewhere. And it's a str0ke 0f g0lden luck that I'veg0t y0u t0 take with nne, by way 0f welc0nne."