West Indian Archie had it out for Malcolm, for whatever reason. Regardless, this type of standoff in Harlem typically ended in someone's death. Neither one could back down from the standoff, so Malcolm continued about his days with his ears to the "wire," or grapevine, trying to figure out why Archie was after him. Malcolm had been carrying pistols for some time by this point, and he continued to do so during this time. He also continued his relationships with many well-known musicians.
After a date with a friend to see Billie Holliday, Malcolm ended up alone in a bar where he was approached by Archie. Due to luck, some friends of Archie's interfered and neither Archie nor Malcolm was hurt, although one would have ended up shot if the friends hadn't interfered......
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