Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 130: what you’re looking at

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756 With his hands aloft, Billy beamed upon him. “What does this mean?” he demanded. CHAPTER XXVII. SOFT ANSWERS. “WT means that we’ve got our man, Ar- | gent.” The sergeant took Billy’s gun, and his face shone cold with triumph. As he spoke Constable Willis entered through one window, and Constable Craddock through the other. They strode forward, keeping their captive covered, and Annette felt an inward shudder as she looked upon the cruel metal of the ugly weapons. Despite their gay uniforms, it seemed to her that these trained hunters of the Mounted pos- sessed something of the same cold menace as their weapons did. When she looked upon the sergeant’s face she shivered. It was graven with implaca- ble resolution. The dread knowledge came to her then that her gallant Billee was firm- ly trapped. There was no escape for him now. If Billy was conscious of this, however, he gave no sign of it. He ignored the dead- ly menace of the guns, and looked upon his captors with positive exuberance. “ It’s like a picture book,” he said heart- ily. “Dressed up all red and cheerful. Where’s Willy-boy?”’ A glint of grim humor crept into the sergeant’s eye. “We thought best to leave Flynn be- hind,” he said. “That’s right,” assented Billy. “He might have thrown a gun with a lady pres- ent or made some such unmanly break.” MacQuillan froze. “‘ Put manacles on the prisoner,” he said. Billy’s quick eye flickered upon Willis as Willis lowered his gun. “Keep up yer hands!” rapped the ser- geant. “ Ah!” gasped the girl as the’ guns of MacQuillan and Craddock came forward. Billy’s smile did not waver, but at the sound of the girl’s quick catch of her breath his eyes perceptibly hardened. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “ That’s the play, admiral. Show her you're big and strong,”’ he murmured soft- ly, but the sergeant was deaf to his scoffing. Willis drew forth his manacles, and reached upward from behind for Billy’s hands, but Annette leaped between. “No!” she cried. ‘“ You weel not do that!” Now. Sergeant MacQuillan had ridden all afternoon with the memory of Billy’s careless jesting in his mind, and without a scrap of fine cut tobacco to console him. He had met Willis, dejected, some miles from the field of Billy’s last escape, and on the verge of fury had hurried with Willis back to Sleepy River. Here he had made direct for Tazewell’s store, found it as if recently ihvaded by stampeding cattle, heard Flynn’s report of Billy’s visit, discovered that the entire stock of Brexton’s fine cut was consumed by flame, felt himself on the point of weep- ing, and had placed the unfortunate Flynn under arrest. He had then gone mad, and with a madman’s cunning had followed Billy to the home of Annette. If Billy was not actually at the Savardé place, reasoned MacQuillan, that girl would know where he was. Grimly, spitefully, he had planned what he would say to that girl. And now that he was about to shackle his prisoner she cried out “ You will not!” To him who remembered that tobacco! Burned! As if it had been so much common provender! “Take that girl away!” he roared. “Easy!” warned Billy. “Keep up your hands!” mellowed the sergeant. The door opened, and Emile Savardé en- tered. He slunk guiltily into the room. Annette was facing him. “You!” cried his daughter. ‘‘ You have betrayed him!” “Non, non!” protested he. “I met the Constable Craddock and he wormed it out of me! Constable, ees it not so? Then the sergeant overtook us!” “Take that girl away!” roared Mac- Quillan. ‘Emile, you’re her father! D’ye hear? Take yer bairn awa’!” “Vou will not!” She pushed Willis vio- lently back. IcOMIEDOOKS {EO