Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

A BOOB THERE WAS. loss of her lover; but now he knew from Northrup’s own lips that it was but a natu- ral grief for one who had been brought up with her as a brother. He*took her in his arms and tried to soothe her. She clung to him, weeping, her frame shaken by sobs. So they sat there on the sand while the sunset glow in the west slowly faded and dusk deepened across the desert. At last Faith raised her head with a start. ‘“ Some one is coming!” she whispered. Bob bent his ear to listen; then gave a quick nod of assent. Across the silence came the chug-chug of a rapidly approach- ing motor car. They rose to their feet and stood gazing in the direction of the sound. Finally they were able to see a flivver moving through the twilight toward them. Bob was just about to step out and hail it; but Faith laid a cautioning hand on his arm. ‘“‘ Better wait until we see who it is,”’ she advised. “If it’s a car from Guadaljara City T’ll know it; and then it will be time enough to speak.” Accordingly, they crouched down behind the big heap of sand and waited for the flivver to go by. But, instead, it drove up almost to where they were hiding and halted. The driver, a tough-looking fellow, climbed down and, lifting a can of water out of the back, filled up the radiator. “ Getting too dark to do any more look- ing now,” he addressed his companion. ‘“‘ No use trying it agin till moonrise. Might as well tie up here, and hang on the nose- bag.”’ “Thanks for them kind words, Slim.” The other dismounted with alacrity and stretched himself. ‘‘ This danged old buck- jumper of a car has got my backbone jammed clean up into my neck.” He busied himself in getting a small oil stove, some cooking utensils and a sack of provisions out of the back of the flivver, and setting up an impromptu kitchen on the sand. ‘““Seems to me it’s all plumb foolishness doing any more of this searchin’, anyhow,” he grumbled. “If the gal was anywhere 747 around in this part of the desert she’d.’a’ been right in the track of that sandstorm; and there ain’t no woman alive could ever have got through a rip-snorter like that. Chances are she’s buried over too deep ever to show up short of the Jedgment Day.” “That’s what I told Red,” nodded Slim. “ But he says to keep pluggin’ away at it just the same. He says the guv’nor, as he calls him, is in a turrible sweat over us los- in’ the gal. Red gets him on the phone over to Guadaljara City after the sandstorm, and gives him about the same line of dope that you’ve been handin’ me. But the guv’nor hits the ceilin’ at any talk of quittin’. He says to keep on; that gal has got to be found, if we have to turn the desert upside down to doit. Dead or alive, she’s got to be found.” Faith was clutching Bob’s arm as they listened. No doubt now about the wisdom of her caution in regard to the approaching flivver. These men were members of the gang which had abducted her, and were right at the present time engaged in search- ing for her under orders to find her dead or alive. So close were the two that Bob and Faith dared not speak. They hardly dared even to breathe. They could but lie there mo- tionless behind the sand hill and telegraph their thoughts to one another by little clutches of their interlocked fingers. The least stir or movement on their part would probably result in immediate detec- tion. They could not creep away without being seen. Yet, if they remained where they were until the moon came up, they were equally certain to be discovered. If only he had been wise enough to bring a gun with him on his expedition, Bob lamented mentally. Both these men had two revolvers apiece hung at their belts; but with an automatic he would have taken a chance at them. Twice, as it was, he got so worked up over their talk that he was on the point of rushing out and engaging them, unarmed and single-handed. Only the dissuading grip of Faith’s hand on his restrained him. Meanwhile, the two roughnecks, crouched down on their haunches, were occupied with preparations for supper, Fat slices of bacon COMMICLOOolkKs (C@