Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 144: what you’re looking at

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

934 “‘You—youw’re right.” Quagley breathed deeply. ‘“ Poison. Yep it was poison in a mottled skin. Off to one side there was another stick and tied to it was a can— and under that—tied to the same stick, only lower, was a rattler about four feet long. It was tied to the stick by a raw- hide thong. It was too short to let the snake at him at first, but the rawhide stretched as the water dripped on it out of the can. An’--an’ of course you know what happened. The snake kept trying and trying to strike—pulling on that damned stretching string. An’ Pulfer couldn’t move. An’—so—finally the snake struck him; that Injun had cut off the legs of his pants. It had struck him in the leg, an’ he was dead when we got there. We've -been all the rest of the time bringin’ him in. Nobody but an Injun would have done it. It ain’t—human.” He broke off and wiped at his lips with a shaking hand. For a moment there was silence and then Judson asked a question. “You say you knew him from the first, Mr. Dual? Would you mind saying how?” ‘Not now, Mr. Judson,” Dual returned. “T knew him first because physically he agreed with the symbol which, in my fig- ures of Miss Rand’s and Lieutenant New- ton’s lives, as I have said, was evilly posited in regard to both her Venus and his sun. I knew him because at times I read minds, the thought vibrations in human brains. “ Neptune is at times overly enthusiastic in a cause which he sees fit to espouse. His loudly spoken partisanship of her in- nocence struck me as overdone. I knew him because after I had purchased a car from him and received a receipt in his hand- writing, I knew also who had sent the anonymous note that drew suspicion to Lieutenant Newton and his pigeons after Mr. Haddon began his investigations at the camp. I knew him because he practically told me with his own lips—” “Told you?” Quagley interrupted. ‘“ Aye—told me,” Dual gave assent. “The day we drove to the Ramirez place and he carried on the conversation between Miguel, Ramirez and myself, since think- ing I did not understand Spanish, he said many things to the man he thought I would ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. know nothing of—bidding him say nothing of having furnished pigeons for the substi- tution at his orders, threatening his life if he did not hold his tongue. It was be- cause of that largely that I brought Ramirez into town that afternoon, knowing that in your keeping he would be safe.” “You understand Spanish then—speak it?’’ Quagley’s expression lightened for the first time. “Yes, Mr. Quagley.” “ Well—I’ll be damned!” The sheriff breathed deeply again, a slow grin creased his weary face. “Nay,” said Semi-Dual. ‘“ But you are looking on the damned, Mr. Quagley—one damned by his own acts—convicted out of his own mouth.” Quagley nodded. ‘‘ Just the same,” he rejoined, ‘‘ this is the first time my hoos- gow was ever used as a refuge, I guess. First Bernice Rand and then old Mike Ra- mirez. Well—he fooled me all right.” “ His intention,” said Semi-Dual, ‘‘ was to deceive. Have I not said he betrayed every trust and in the end did he not be- tray even himself? He desired the girl and so sought to gain her release since, had she been set free, unknowing his designs, he would have probably seized her and made his escape. But failing in his pur- pose, he waited, hoping to gain it, and so met his fate.” ‘““ Bernice?” Quagley stared. ‘Is that what you meant when you said he—Nep- tune—threatened her? But see here—” He cut himself off and stood frowning, his glance turning not toward Dual but to the bloated corpse. “You would say he already had a wom- an here in town—the girl Lolita,” Dual seemingly took up his interrupted words. ‘“* Had he not betrayed her womanhood al- ready? And think you he would have balked at betraying. her still further, to fulfill his own desires? Neptune is both obscure and lustful, Mr. Quagley, at times.” “Pablo,” Quagley. licked dry lips. “I don’t know. If you’re right—and you’ve sure been right thus far—maybe that In- jun had cause. But—to do it thataway—” His words were cut off by a woman’s scream—the sound of a commotion in front. oO COMmMICOOKS.ecO