‘The Pit of the Serpent’ is a short story originally published in 1929.

American sailor Steve Costigan falls for the charms of a Spanish beauty named Raquel. Violence erupts when a fellow sailor, called Bat, tries wooing Raquel whilst Steve is sitting with her.

At length the men agree to settle their differences by fighting bare-knuckled in a pit previously used for snake fights. Bat has fought here before, whereas Steve hasn’t, meaning the confined space hampers him because of his height and build, which are usually an advantage.

The fight occupies most of this tale. Because of this it proves a little monotonous.

Had I been rating these two stories separately I would've given this one 3 stars, however, I really liked the fast-paced‘Dark Shanghai’, which was first published in 1932, and is another Steve Costigan short story.

Steve and his friend Bill run into Ace, whom neither of them care for. After causing Ace some facial damage they are surprised when he meets them later to offer them a deal. Apparently John Bain – a shady character – has a sister who’s been kidnapped by a formidable Chinese man. There’s $1,000 each for Steve and Bill if they can return the abducted lady to Bain.

As things transpire, nothing is straightforward.

Witty dialogue, gritty men, and a pretty woman – can’t go wrong. ( )