Adventure, November 1915 — page 98: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

eg “Well,’’ summed up the Yankee Inspec- tor who had captured Maung Gaung, “it sure looks like he’s carrying the game through on his wits an’ his cast-iron nerve; but anyhow, he’s a slick proposition, an’ we’ve got to take our hats off to him for a mighty cool hand. Hope I’m the one to catch him, that’s all; it would be some stunt to pull off.”’ And the Scarecrow came and went as usual, unconcerned, smiling and myste- rious. : THE tale ran through the whole camp, causing widespread merri- =—— ment and much comment. It even floated in the course of a few days as high as the august ears of Mr. Stuart-Wilson, and that omniscient luminary indulged in a few scornful grunts about the inefficient bungling of his understrappers, and inquired plaintively of the surrounding atmosphere how he could be expected to run a great organization with such brainless material. He was the more put out, since that after- noon’s mail had brought him an insured _ package containing a stone of exceptional luster about which the company knew nothing, and which one of their agents had bought in the market at Mandalay. He worried over it till the clock struck. four, and then, since he had reached his office that morning as early as ten-thirty, he de- cided to go to the club to see if any of the other magnates of the syndicate had ar-_ rived, and perhaps to condole with them. As he puffed up the slight incline, who should pass him, swinging easily along, but the primal cause of all his worriment, who had now outgrown the origin of his appella- tion and appeared in a prosperous-looking new suit and corduroy riding-breeches? Here was an opportunity to exercise his’ own superior gifts. “Er—young man! A moment, please!” The Scarecrow turned. The Managing Director regarded him in austere silence to wither him with his hypnotic glare and the majesty of his presence, as he would one of his own scared subordinates. The Scarecrow broke the long silence. in some unaccountable manner this sudden confrontment with the Lord’s anointed left him singularly self-possessed. , “Yes, Mr. Wilson? Er—I sure beg your pardon, Mr. Stuart-Wilson’ I forgot for the moment that you carried two barrels.” ad Adventure The Managing Director’s face took on a hectic purple and his eyes boggled. The impressive manner gave place to plain un- controlled rage. “See here, you!” he spluttered. ‘This company has had enough of your game, and you had better get out before you are taken out.” “Sure, Mr. Wil—er—Stuart-Wilson; I’m not figuring to stay much longer anyhow, and I'll leave the camp as soon as I’ve made a little money out of it.” | “Money out of it!” ~ : Here was insolence beyond precedent. The Managing Director frothed and slavered in a frenzied parting harangue out of which the Scarecrow gathered that the Heaven-born “had his eye on him,” and that ‘“‘he had better have a care and be very careful, lest a worse thing befall.” After that things moved rapidly in the camp. The Managing Director sent for Gorman again and poured his over-strained soul out on the writhing Superintendent. Gorman stormed into McNair’s barroom, primed almost to murder, and bellowed for whisky, as was his habit when anything disturbed him. Two of his inspectors who were lounging at the bar discreetly withdrew from the sphere of his wrath, and so missed his subsequent discomfiture. The Super- intendent, immediately on ‘entering, had commenced a violent tirade against the Scarecrow, and finding McNair the only disinterested listener, filled the latter’s ears with his woes. As the raw spirit began to take hold of him, he broke into a flood of incoherent invective mingled with wild threats of what he would do to the man as soon as he saw him. The impassioned denunciation seemed to the shrewd landlord to be needlessly violent, and he wondered what lay back of it all; but he saw no reason to add fuel by giving vent to his surmises or calling attention to the possibility of reprisals, though he might have had his own opinion on the matter. He merely contented himself with saying “Ou, aye,” at the needful intervals and let Gorman rave'on. “Wait till I catch him!’ howled the Superintendent. “T’ll get him sent up for ten years; I'll railroad him. Let me just set eyes on him; I’ll give him——” Gorman paused for want of a suitable threat. (EO) OOK (C©) S|