Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 7, 1928 — page 114: what you’re looking at

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

104 look at an old woman. You with that rig you got on—painted up, singin’ songs! Good Lord, lady, we’ll own the whole damn country—just you and—” ' It was as far as he got. A stinging blow on the mouth from something hurtling across the cabin. The girl leaped from the bunk, throwing the first thing she could reach—the sextant —and she stood there now, her chest heaving, her eyes blazing in fury. The instrument fell clattering to the deck, leaving a cut across Swope’s mouth. Staggering backward to the bulkhead, he steadied himself. His face blanched, and a trickle of blood came from his lips. They faced each other like two wild animals, the weaker one waiting help- less for a return attack; the stronger, crouching forward, his hands opened like two claws before him. It was a situation in which even a man of Swope’s uncanny poise would not forbear to leap upon his assailant and tear her to pieces. But Swope wiped his. mouth; he seemed to shrug his shoulders to shake off the tenseness that was cramping him. His upper lip curled, showing the reddened teeth. “T won’t stay on that tack, my little catamount. I’m through with that tack. The hell with pretending. The hell with you—you damned little skit, paintin’ yourself up for a bunch of sousing muckers! “ All right. They’re better’n [ am. You wouldn’t paint up for me. No! You'll try to come aboard me with any weapon you can lay your hooks on! Well, let’s play different.” He stepped to her, and, despite the fact that she shrank back, darting be- hind the table, he had her wrist in the vise of his hand. 7 _“ Where’s the money you skinned those drunks out of ? Where is it? No more hedgin’. I want it. You'll cough it up. Where is it—answer sharp, or I'll break you!” ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. She came to her knees with the pain. But the very touch of his hand seemed to break the intangible fear sway which a moment before he held over her. He was no longer the suave, aloof devil, breathing poison into the room. He was only a man. {n that brief moment a flash of light came to her. He had power over them all—the three henchmen, the skipper, the unlucky old Joshua, the helpless girl. But she also had a certain power —she knew where that gold was hid- den. Even old Joshua did not know its last hiding place. And the skipper had not until this night known that it existed. She would hold that secret until the last ditch. It might serve its place. If she gave it up now, then what was there left for Swope to do but to finish up his game in good shape and shove off again for the tule swamps? One thing was left—he would kill her fa- ther and the faithful Joshua. And now, she was assured, he would take her along with him. “You won't tell?” he muttered softly. He had in a measure gotten back his poise. There was scarcely a trace of exasperation in his voice. “All right. ’'m satisfied. You'll tell shortly. In ten minutes you'll tell. When you hear your father howlin’— then you'll tell.” He slipped out of the cabin, slam- ming the door and locking it. She heard him walk back toward the steerage—a soft padding of canvas shoes, like a carrion-eating animal prowling excitedly toward a meal. Throwing herself bodily against the door, she started to pound. But then abruptly stopped. Swope had said: ‘ When you hear your father—” She listened with a frantic intensity as if to catch the sound of a pin falling. Her heart began to pound, and she clutched it. The thumping was so loud that she imagined herself deafened. TO BE CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK (E(0) DOOKS AAI ee (E@)