Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

GOBS ON THE MAKE. him about the fight when he reached in his pocket for his tobacco and that paper dropped out. I picked it up and happened to read the headlines. Then I stuck it inside my blouse and sneaked away before he saw me.” While he was talking, Andy had straightened out the paper and was staring at it with widening eyes. The handbill, for such it was, con- tained a picture of Blacky. Above the picture, across the top, in large letters, was the caption: $2,500 REWARD! Underneath the picture, in smaller type, was the following: Sam Black, alias “ Slim Muldoon,” wanted for participating in a train robbery near Banbury, Texas. The above reward will be paid to any one giving information which will lead to his capture and conviction. Description: age, 24 years; height, 5’ 11''; weight, 170 lbs.; brown eyes, black hair, hook nose; two gold teeth in upper jaw. Notify Chief of Police, Joun A. Hearn, Banbury, Texas. “Well, what do you know about that!’ breathed Andy, as he returned the handbill to Hankins. “A train robber! Who'd: a thunk it!’ “T knew he was a tough egg,’ Han- kins replied. “ You see, he probably joined the navy because he thought it would be a good way to hide out.” “Twenty-five hundred dollars— umm, umm, baby!’ murmured Andy. “ What couldn’t I do with that much dough!” “How d’yuh get that way?” de- manded Hankins. “Twelve fifty apiece, you mean.” “Jumpin’ terrapin!’ exclaimed Andy. ‘“ What a sweet come-uppance that bird would get if we turned him over to the police!” “Well, why not?” demanded Han- kins. ‘ He’s a crook, ain’t he? He's a disgrace to the navy, ain’t he? An’ he socked you in the eye, didn’t he? 701 Why shouldn’t we turn him over and get the reward, I'd like to know?” Andy felt of his sore optic. “You're darn right!’ he spluttered. “Why, it’s our duty to hand him over to the police. We'll do the job as soon as we get to Honolulu.” “We'll do nothing of the sort,” growled Hankins. ‘“ Use your brains, if you got any. We'll wait until we get back to San Diego. Then we'll get the jack right quick. If we turn him over at Honolulu, there’d have to be cablegrams sent and all kinds of red tape. It might be next Christmas be- fore we got the reward.” “Yeh, that’s right,” agreed Andy. Then he frowned. ‘ But suppose he gets away from us before we get back P”’ Hankins rubbed his chin thought- fully, then he chuckled. “Listen, brother, this is what we'll do—we’ll make friends with him, see—"”’ ** Make friends?” broke in Andy. * You heard me,” went on Hankins, “and shut up until I get through, will your As I said, we'll play up to him. We've got to do it in order to keep him under our eyes all the time. We can’t give him no chance to give us the slip before we get back to San Diego. “Why, do you realize that big hunk of boloney is worth twenty-five hun- dred dollars to us? We've got to stick to him. and kid him along—just like we'd keep hold of a sack of twenty dollar gold pieces, if we had it. Yes- siree—that baby spells a fortune to us, buddy, Ill tell the world.” “ Shall we go an’ give him the glad hand right away?” asked Andy. “Good idea,” replied Hankins. ITT. To the gratification of both of them, Blacky accepted their apologies and proffers of friendship by extending his hand and booming: “That’s all right, buddies. This EOPMIC OOO KS (E@)