Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 66: what you’re looking at

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

496 ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. colored sash, tasseled leggings, and fringed buckskin shirt. ‘“ Goin’ in or comin’ out?” he asked. éé in” “'Trappin’ ?” “ Tryin’ to. Why?” “Thought ye mought be workin’ for the movies,” sneered Quinn. It was Toon’s turn to flush, and the air became charged with impending trouble, when Mac broke in: “ Here’s yer receip’, lad.” “Thanks, Mac.” When the Indian turned, after seru- tinizing the receipt, Quinn had slammed the door. ‘* Surly brute,” muttered the Seot. “ Oh, I dunno, Mac,” answered Nap lightly as he tucked the receipt, to- gether with his trapping license, away in the pocket of his shirt. “‘ Guess he was disappointed because I wouldn't sell him that ‘ silver’ for his girl. Two thousand dollars is double what a fur house will pay, and when a man is in love there’s nothin’ so disappointin’ as not being able to get her what he knows she’ll like. Well, that’s that. Now, gimme a fancy box of them chocolates and keep an eye on my canoe, while | make jest one more call afore I hit the current.” The gay-colored box tucked under his arm and whistling blithely, Nap strode toward the little cabin of clean- peeled logs occupied by Pierre La Forge and his daughter Idona. He recalled happily the events of yes- tereve, when he had paddled Idona into the eddy of the falls, and under the spell of the harvest moon and the drone of water that tumbled over the jagged ledges had pleaded his love, and the fair Idona had promised to wait. And on the day that they were wed, Nap Toon had promised himself, he would present his bride with the “ sil- ver’: a present fit to adorn a queen. He executed a little jig. Was it not droll that Blue Chin should want the pelt for the same pur- pose? He wondered, speculatively, what sort of a husbandthe apelike Quinn would make; shen laughed at his own conceit. , Idona met him at the door with a smile. And in his delight at seeing her, . he did not notice that her eyes were troubled. From the room beyond came the drone of voices, punctuated now and then by a booming laugh and the clink of glasses. To his look of inquiry Idona said in a low tone: “A man papa used to know before he came here—a big, unmannerly brute with the eyes of a wolf. He had din- ner with us, and once or twice I caught papa eying him as if he was afraid of him. Quinn, his name is.” Ouinn! The man with the blue chin! Nap fought down the impulse to tell Idona of the incident at the fur trad- er’s; the present of the “silver” was to be a surprise that would be better for the waiting. “] met him at Mac’s,” he said light- ly. “‘ Of the lumber woods, I take it, and a lumber camp is not a college of fine manners.” 3 And as she laughed he popped an almond into her mouth; and in their hour of. happiness they chattered and planned like the lovesick children they were, Nap was kissing her good-by for the fortieth time, when the door suddenly opened and in the doorway loomed the bulk of big Lew Quinn. iI. Unber the stimulus of the alcoholic “ split,” Ouinn’s cheeks had paled, ac- centuating the blue of his chin, and the porcine eyes were shot with flecks of blood. At sight of Toon he stiffened, and a sibilant hiss issued from his throat like that of a spitting lizard. “Hah! So? Itis my friend, the sil- ver fox. So this is the sheik o’ the Cuperlax, eh? Well, as I said before, Pierre, it’s up to you. Now is as good time as any; go ahead and tell ’im.” 4A COPNICLOOKS (E@