Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 19, 1924 — page 107: what you’re looking at

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

FLOOD. see ye ain't changed none since the day I throwed ye into the river for sellin’ gin to Widow Gimmon’s boy.” Old Man Slump smiled uneasily, but evi- dently could not think of retort; and Archie and Joe returned to the canoe and continued on their way. Both voyagers were silent for several minutes; and then Joe turned his head toward the stern of the canoe. ‘“He acted like he was scart to sass ye back,” he said. “IT reckon he was,” returned Archie. “ He called ye Dandy Divil McKim.” “So did plenty of folks up this way in the old days. I was a bit of a dandy, an’ maybe a bit of a divil, too.” ‘““T wouldn’t wonder if ye was cock 0’ the river in them days, Archie.” ‘““No more would I, Joe; an’ now if ye'll pint yer nose the way we want to go an’ git busy with that thar paddle I’ll be much obleeged.”’ ‘You must of done somethin’ ye hadn’t ought to, ye’re that close-mouthed about yerself,’’ complained Joe—but at the same time he turned his face to the front and dug his paddle into the water. Archie McKim smiled somewhat pen- sively behind his whiskers. At Indian Ferry they heard of Pete Woodhall again, but nothing new of him and nothing of the boy. He had not been seen there within the week or thereabouts. When questioned as to the location of Woodhall’s home, the people of Indian Ferry appeared to be stupidly ignorant. They had no love or respect for Pete, but they were on his side when it came to a question of law; and they naturally sus- pected this visit to be a matter of legal significance. Knowing Woodhall as they did, they could not imagine two strangers coming in search of him for any other purpose than to arrest him for some old or new offence against one or another of the several laws which were constantly cramping their own styles and natural impulses. They were simple folk, these dozen inhabitants of this circumscribed locality known as Indian Ferry. They had no knowledge of Pete Wood- hall’s most serious crimes. © The tragic TA s ; 577 truth, the double tragedy, concerning the cabin that had been carried away by the big flood was unknown to them; and his activities in Maine were as a closed book to them. They knew him to be a breaker of game- laws, a swiller of contraband liquors. Pro- hibition was then undreamed of, but there were a number of laws which complicated and attempted to control the traffic in and consumption of strong drink—a_ gambler and a thief. They, too, even the best of them occasionally put a crack or a bad dent in one footling little law or another. Still farther up-stream, in a little shack overlooking black and white water and the rocky track of Hell-an’-all Carry—that is one of the shortest, but perhaps one of the worst, carry-rounds on the river—they found an ill-assorted couple, man and wife, of the name of Dix. The man was elderly and evidently in ill-health. Also, he had a crooked leg and hopped on home-made crutches. The woman was younger by twenty years, perhaps, and red haired and green eyed. Archie and Joe disturbed them in the middle of a high-voiced quarrel. Their bitter voices fell suddenly to a vibrant si- lence as Archie McKim knocked on the door with a gesture that was violent, and had nothing of hospitality in it. ‘“ What d’ye want?” she asked. ‘Have ye seen a small boy in a blue suit of clothes an’ a white collar ‘round here anywheres of late, m’am?” asked Archie in his mild voice. “Naw, I ain’t,” returned the woman, ‘“‘ Have ye seen Pete Woodhall?”’ ** Naw—not in years. one else?” “No one in particular—but I’m glad to see Charlie Dix behind ye thar. How-do, Charlie? Long time-no-see-um,” The man swung forward toward the door between his rough crutches, and at the same moment the woman stepped across the threshold and brushed past Archie and Joe. “Archie McKim!” exclaimed Dix. “ Dandy Divil McKim, or I’m a liar! Come in, ye old hellyun! Lay her thar!” Archie entered, with Joe Newsam at his oO Lookin’ for any- _ 2m. : = i: PRL Rr. ane Ae 6 eae Paks < in ee Co ro gS Ly a EGE Bip MT SE OR Sew OS cs comicbooks-com 2 vie ATTA ia adi a> Maka Y ‘ ‘ ‘ ARP COSI he er ee “ ; my yt ee Ee EN