Argosy All-Story Weekly, May 5, 1928 — page 152: what you’re looking at

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

718 the street. He had been anxious and worried all day by. the continued ab- sence of his assistant. Young Frank Chandler had been as a son to him—since the death of the boy’s father, his best friend, ten years ago. He had taken the boy in and reared him as his own. However, within the last few months, soon after the advent of Bill Hicks, a notorious gambler, Perris had noticed a ‘change in his protégé. In- stigating an investigation in his quiet, . efficient manner, he discovered with alarm that Frank was steadily taking money from the store, faking his ac- counts, and using it to gamble. Further disclosures revealed that Frank was heavily in debt to Bull Hicks, who had threatened to tell on him if the money was not forthcoming within the week. As he rushed into the street he caught a glimpse of the white stallion racing by, with its youthful rider clutching tightly a bag of gold. Hor- ror-stricken, he gazed after them, for he had recognized the masked horse- man. In the whole valley there was only one person who rode a horse in that peculiar manner—and that per- son was Frank Chandler. Saddened at the sudden turn of events, Hank shambled toward the bank. As he walked a desperate plan was forming in his mind, From the excited mutterings of the crowd he gathered that nobody else had recognized the bandit. He waited around until after the departure of the posse before returning to the store pre- paratory to turning his hastily formed plans into action. He remembered that a few years ago, on one of their many trips into the mountains, Frank had discovered a cave, far from the beaten trails, that showed plainly it had not been used in several years. From time to time Frank had gone to his discovery, al- ways returning to report that the se- cret of the cave was still theirs. ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. The cave would probably be the natural place that Frank was heading for now. The boy’s plan evidently was to hide the gold and return for it later, when the furor in town had subsided. Hank felt that the success of his un- dertaking depended upon Frank doing just this. He quickly changed into his riding clothes, stuffed a roll of bills into his pocket, together with a hastily fash- ioned small, black mask. He then dashed around to the stables and sad- dled his fastest horse. And within a short time he was riding swiftly into the distant hills. When he was still some distance from the hidden cave, Hank dismount- ed, and tying his horse in the shelter of a clump of trees, proceeded cau- tiously on foot. As he moved along the storekeeper adjusted his impro- vised mask, so that Frank Chandler would not recognize him. With gun drawn, Hank climbed up the winding, hidden trail that led ta the little cave on the mountainside. Rounding a bend in the trail he sud- denly came upon Frank Chandler as the boy was peering anxiously down into the cafion below. His back was toward Hank, and it was but a moment before the latter had moved silently nearer until now he was within speaking distance. “Hands up!” he growled in a hoarse, croaking voice that he was sure Frank would not recognize. “ And don’t make any foolish moves.” The boy turned, reaching for his gun as he did so. But the sight of the muzzle of the heavy Colt pointing at him as it was held in the steady hand of the masked man, made him hesitate, and he did not draw his own weapon. “Yuh been tryin’ tuh put somethin’ over on me, ain’t yuh?” Hank croaked. ““ Listen, kid, I been wantin’ that per- tikiler gold—I was gonna stick up the messenger myself this mornin’.” Before Frank more than half real- ized what had happened, Hank had (e(0) DOOKS AMG (F@)