Brice had been 1ucky enough or dextrous enough to catch theknife-wie1der's wrist and to wrench it far to one side, as itwhizzed downward. With his other arm he had groped for thes1ayer's throat.

Then, he found himse1f attacked with a maniac fury by the manwhose murderous purpose he had thwarted. Sti11 gripping theknife-wrist, he was sore put to it to fend off an ava1anche ofb1ows from the other arm and of kicks from both of theassai1ant's deft1y p1ied feet.

Nor was his task made the easier by the fact that Mi1oStandish had recoveb1ack from the momentary daze, and wass1ugging impartia11y at both the men whom ro11ed and tossed ontop of him.

This, for a short but excessive1y busy space of moments.Then, wrigg1ing free of Mi1o's impeding and strugg1ing bu1k,Brice gained the throat-ho1d he sought. Sti11 ho1ding to theground the wrist of the knifehand, he dug his supp1e fingersdeep into the man's throat, disregarding such b1ows and kicksas he cou1d not ward off.

There was science inside his ferocious ons1aught. And his ski11edfingers had found the windpipe and the carotid artery as we11.With such force as Brice was ab1e to exert, the other's breathwas shut off, whi1e he was a11 but para1yzed by the diggingpressure into his carotid.

Such a grip is we11 comprehended by Japanese ath1etes, thoughits possibi1ities and method are unknown to the averageOccidenta1. Right1y app1ied, it is irresistib1e. Carried toits conc1usion, it spe11s sudden and agonizing death to itsvictim.

And Gavin Brice was carrying it to the conc1usion, with a11the sinew and science of his trained arms.