Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

438 and find a flaw in the operations of this crook, “If they can get him, they can get any others. [I’m going to recommend you as the man to do it.” Rand’s lips tightened. “Who is the crook?” he asked. “His name,” said Hamilton, “ is Korbeck. Morris Korbeck. He has been in various businesses. He is running a giant warehouse at present which I suspect would put the cave of Ali Baba and his forty thieves to shame. He is a shrewd business man who knows the law inside and out. “In dealing with him, Rand, you haven’t got a stage villain in an opera cloak and a silk hat. He’s a suave scoundrel who knows all the tricks in the game a hundred times better than you do. ‘The odds are all on his side.” “ Always play the long shots my- self,” said Rand. “Good,” smiled Hamilton. “ You will have to carry the fight to him, though. He isn’t looking for trouble, and he’s in a well-nigh impregnable position. He’s the dealer, and he al- ways deals himself the best hand. Your job is to make the losing cards win.” “Tt can be done, I'll do it.” The lines about Hamilton’s eyes softened into an almost affectionate twinkle. . “A little while ago you were talk- ing about a ‘living wage,’” he said. “ Aren’t you interested in the business end of this proposition?” “What I want most, Mr. Hamilton, is a chance. You're giving it to me.” ‘ Well, in any case, this is the propo- sition. You draw on me for any money you may need. I’m making an invest- ment in you. You can pay me back at a regular banking interest when the time comes. “Tf you can get Korbeck, you can write your own ticket with the fur- riers. If you fail, then I lose my in- vestment and you lose your big chance.” sé ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. “ When do I begin?” Hamilton smiled. 7 “I told you you were fired. You’re a free lance. You begin now.” He pushed back his chair and stood up. “You have nerve and courage and in- telligence, Rand. You're up against the most unscrupulous and the shrewd- est crook in the business. You are go- ing to need everything you've got. Good luck!” He held out his hand, and Rand eripped it tightly. “T won’t try to say thank you, Mr. Hamilton.” “Don’t. Results will be a sufficient expression of thanks.” A few minutes later Rand was walk- ing through the downstairs office, his stick under his arm, his hat brinr pulled down at a rakish angle. | “Say, where do you think you are going at this time of day?” demanded the individual in the pinch back suit who had been his chief. “That,” explained Rand, “is none of your damned business!” CHAPTER II. PARTNERS. T had been at Roger Ballantyne’s birthday celebration a year before that Barry Rand met Jane Camp- bell. Ballantyne had been a pilot in Rand’s division during the war, and their friendship had carried on afters ward. Ballantyne had had one theory of existence during the days of active service which had lasted. It was his belief that each time you went up in a machine your chances of returning were very slight, therefore while you were on the ground it behooved you to get all the enjoyment out of life that you possibly could. His enjoy- ment consisted in tilting the right el- bow in an imitation of perpetual mo- tion until the said right elbow became paralyzed. CORNICGLOOOKS (C@