Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 189, No. 4 — page 136: what you’re looking at

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606 and left the cottage, slamming the door vio- lently behind them. Robinson turned to me with a smile of relief. “Now, Dr. Warner,” he said, ‘‘ you see my fears were not groundless, the imagin- ings of an old fellow whose brain has been turned by thinking his work more impor- tant than it is.” “But your reputation would stop any one from thinking that?” I lied. “Oh, no, I’ve kept far enough in the background, but they’ve taken care to look up some of my more important government reports. They fear I may actually produce a working formula, but they were silly to think a money bribe would have any weight with me. Now we will have more direct methods, which appeal the more readily to these types.” “ What do you expect?” I asked. “That I don’t quite know,” Robinson replied, ‘‘ but this island ought to be an easy spot to guard. I confess to you that I am trembling on the very instant of final success—a few hours may turn the scales one way or another. Sam and you must maintain sentry duty, starting to-morrow, warning any strangers from approaching. You have a revolver?” “Ves, I took the precaution to bring one with me.” ‘“Sam has a rifle he uses in the hunting season. Between the two of you I don’t see why I may not be left to work in peace,” murmured Robinson. “I simply must not be stopped just at this crucial period.” “T seem to have arrived in time to be of service,” I said, in a pleased tone. “ This is the first occasion my wilderness retreat has proved a drawback, not a bless- ing. Having a policeman always within hail has some merits when dealing with those who acknowledge no law. Well, let’s to bed, doctor, we are early risers here.” The old man blew out the kerosene lamp as I reached the head of the stairs and found my way to my attic. I felt a vague uneasiness, for the threats we had heard were not idle ones, and Peter might very probably enter into their plans. Don’t be surprised that I slept with that revolver ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. I had purchased, with a smile of amuse- ment, tucked under my pillow. CHAPTER XXII. THE FORMULA. HE next day dawned beautifully to my eyes, for I awoke and dressed early, up and out before any one else had started to stir from bed. A keen little breeze was whipping the waters of the lake into silver whitecaps, and the sun was shin- ing brightly on the island, blending gold with the green of the trees that encroached on the dwelling and greenhouse. I took a walk about Robinson’s domain, finding only a small truck garden had been cultivated, and that most of the land was growing just as he had found it, a wild woodiand. So it wasn’t long before I had returned from the house, satisfied that there wasn’t much to see, none of the gar- dens or walks one might have expected a dweller here would have taken the pleasure to lay out. The greenhouse, where he had his labora- tory, was to Robinson, I suppose, the one important interest of his life, the rest mere- ly somewhere to sleep and procure neces- sary food. I told myself that I would have soon grown bored with such an existénce. Already I was wondering how long might my stay be prolonged on the island. If we haven’t intense preoccupations we are very dependent on others for the casual pleasure that makes up so much of life. Robinson was interesting on his pet hob- bies, otherwise silent. Sam was well enough in his way, but a servant type after all. And the company of Peter wouldn’t be welcome. Perhaps I was in for a lonely time of it, unless our late callers might provide excitement in an effort to stop the scientist’s experiments. This brought up I don’t know what wild notions. , I observed afterward that the natural possibility, the one nearest at hand, never occurred to a mind thronged with fancies. After all we were dealing with realists, crude ones at that, Gomichooks EOor