Argosy All-Story Weekly — page 97: what you’re looking at

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

THE GREAT OUTLAW. “But what were you doing all that way up there, Midge?” cried Elsie almost im- patiently. No doubt, she felt that some secret and thrilling things were being kept from her. “Elsie,” the girl answered in a solemn voice, “I can’t help myself. I think I go wild sometimes.” She hated these half truths. could she do? She nerved herself to ask a question. “Did they capture the White Horse- man?” ‘ “No,” said Major Inglis, and Elsie chimed in: ‘“ My dear, the man has a charmed life! They found no trace of him, but heaps of dead bodies round his camp. Did you see his camp?” ‘“ No,” said Midge. It was another half truth. In the darkness she had not actually seen it. With the eyes of her mind she saw again that marvelously lovely prospect of the next morning over mountains and plain, and her heart failed her because of the lies with which she was forced to stain and sully that hopeless but glorious love. ‘‘ But you knew there had been fighting?” asked Elsie eagerly. “Yes; the men told me. understood it from them. their language, you see.” “Tt appears that some tribesmen at- tacked this man’s camp,” said Major In- glis quietly. ‘Our men found great dis- order, and, as Elsie says, some dead. But the tribesmen had had time to make off, taking their wounded. We were in pursuit for a week but did not find him. We can only be thankful that you were brought back safely,” he added with that soldier- like simplicity that made her feel unutter- ably low. “In a measure we must owe that to him, as it was his men who found you.” It seemed that the two natives could not be induced to reveal their chief’s where- abouts. Neither punishment nor the fear of death could move them. ‘“T don’t suppose they know,” suggested Midge weakly. ‘‘ They must have got de- tached from him.” Punishment! The fear of death! It made But what At least, I I don’t know 887 her blood run cold. Those silent, yellow- faced, beady-eyed men! The care they took of her. To them she was in some way they did not understand one with their chief. They had become dumb as animals at the sight of the British troops. She had realized that they would do nothing be- cause they must not let her out of their sight until she was safe. | Two or three days passed, and then came another bad moment. Midge and Elsie were alone in the draw- ing-room after breakfast. Elsie had been forbidden by her husband to go out that day. A solemn gloom brooded over the station. The murderers of the two British officers had been caught and brought down. they were Waziris and had nothing to do with the White Horseman’s band. They were lodged in the tiny station jail, waiting for a car to take them down to Khargit on their way to Lahore, where they were to be tried. There was a chance of trouble. The troops were being closely watched. A native fanatic had been preaching sedition in the neighborhood, gathering quite a number of followers. In Khargit there had been an attempt at mutiny, suppressed only by a prompt and iron hand. The atmosphere was electric enough to satisfy the wildest part of Midge’s makeup; but now only the least conscious portion of her was in Banzat. Her real self was away in the wilds, wherever the White Horseman was. He would not take her with him bodily, but he could not help her heart and spirit following, following always. “ Elsie,” said Midge suddenly, “I am going back to England as soon as I can. You’ve been so awfully good to me, but I feel I’ve caused you so much trouble. It isn’t fair.” “ But, Midge, how ridiculous you are!” her friend exclaimed. ‘‘ Laurie says we must go down to Khargit, or even to La- hore. You know what Christmas is in La- hore—awful fun—with the polo and the dances and all that. Why, you’d be an idiot to miss it!” ‘J don’t think I feel up to it,’ Midge answered. “I really think I’d better go home. I still feel so queer.” oO Ccomicbooks ©)