Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

710 Under pretense of shoving a stick into the fire, Hal got up on his knees and read the headlines upside down: ROGER MANION ESCAPES FROM PRISON Young Prison Doctor Smuggles Him Out in His Car. Underneath, in black face type within a * box,” Hal read: $1,000 REWARD! The Prison Commission Offers the Above Sum. Wingy held the newspaper up and began to read. Hal made his face like a mask. A price on their heads! That was what he had feared. How could the gypsies be expected to refuse it? He felt pretty near desperate. True, he had a gun in his pocket, but what could he do against somany? He was well assured that the gypsies were provided with a regular arsenal. Futile to take to their heels down the road! Futile to try to slip into the woods and hide! All he could do was sit tight and wait to see how Wingy would take it. Wingy held the newspaper up in front of his face for a long time; longer than was necessary for him to read the story, Hal suspected. One of the tethered horses be- gan to squeal and kick. Wingy jumped up in seeming passion, letting the spread news- paper fall. It fell squarely on the fire and instantly blazed up. It was neatly done. “Ah! He means to give us up!” thought Hal. The three gypsy women were seated a little way off without any fire. Wingy, after giving the offending horse a kick, went to them and whispered with the old woman. ‘The man with the scar and the other two grown men sauntered over and joined them one by one. But their consul- tation was brief. Wingy came back to Hal with the evil grin which never changed, and which gave away nothing. “We've decided to go right on,” he said. “ Guess you ain’t sorry.” “ Good work!” said Hal. He had thought ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. of a plan, a crazy plan, to be sure, but it was something to work on. The gypsies packed up with their cus- tomary expedition. Darkness was well ad- vanced when they started. The last thing Hal saw before he climbed into the wagon was the man with the scar mounted on the bay mare starting off alone. He turned to the left in the road; that is to say in an easterly direction, toward Montebello. “ Getting incriminating evidence out of the way,” thought Hal. The goods were piled in behind them, but not so carefully as before. Wingy climbed on the box and cracked his whip. As they crossed the ditch it was easy enough for Hal to tell from the lurch of the wagon that they turned to the right; 7. e., back across the line into the State where the re- ward was offered. This was what he ex- pected, of course. In a rapid whisper Hal explained the situation to Celesta and Roger. They fell in with his plan, having nothing else to sug- gest. Notwithstanding his resentment at having been rescued out of prison, Roger had never suggested giving himself up or allowing himself to be taken. The hope of a pardon was knocked on the head. Hal started moving the objects aside at the back. The rattle of the wheels effectual- ly drowned any sounds that he made. He opened a passage at one side, and cautious- ly unfastening the curtain at the bottom, peeped out. Wingy, by his very impatience to claim the reward, was aiding him. He had whipped his horses to a smart trot; he had the best pair in the outfit, and he had drawn away from the following wagon. That showed as a mere blur a hundred yards or so behind. Hal whispered over his shoulder: ‘‘ When I drop off, follow me. Do just as I do.” As soon as they left the patch of woods behind, there were none but single trees along the road. But in places the fence lines had grown up: there was a thick growth of sumac, elderberry, and other bushes. They turned a slight bend in the road and the following wagon was hidden by intervening bushes. More bushes rose alongside at Hal’s right. COmMicloooks (C@