Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 134: what you’re looking at

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

416 The man lay on his back, as before, but this time his eyes, instead of being heavily shut, were open and staring about him with a growing consciousness. He looked at me, furtively, as I lit the lamp beside the bed and blew out the candle. With his frowsy head and misshapen ear, he looked uglier than ever, and it took all my charity to speak to him civilly. “Feeling better? Is there anything I can do for your” He tried to speak, but as his voice was only a husky growl, I had to bend my ear close to hear what he said. * Where is he?” * Who do you mean?” “The Big Swell! Have you got ’im?”’ I shook my head. ‘“‘ No, but we soon will.” He studied my face a moment with his small crafty eyes. ‘“‘ Who are you?” “Carlos Brent, Mr. Dean’s_great- nephew. See here, you’ve had a nasty clip on the head. Don’t you think you had better take it easy?” 6¢ I’m me out, but Ill get there.” He made an effort to rise ‘but fell back, swearing freely. “Me bloomin’ nut goes round,” he croaked, “but I ain’t counted out yet. Lend me a fin, mate, so I kin git up.” He certainly had courage and extraordi- nary strength, for he had had a knock seri- ous enough to have put any man out of commission, but I imagine that the mor- phine had the effect, as it sometimes does, of stimulating rather than soothing. I gave him my arm, and he dragged himself up to the accompaniment of much profanity and stood, swaying dizzily, for a moment. Then he sank back on the edge of the bed again. “My legs is made of macaroni, curse ’em. Where’s the girl?” “Do you mean Shirley?” “Yes. She knows what he’s up to.” My heart sank at this evidence against Shirley. I couldn’t bear to think that she was in league with this dirty pugilist.. As I thought of her frank, brave face I could not believe it; yet here was absolute testi- all right,” he growled, “‘ It knocked | = | e ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. mony. But the last thing that I wanted was to have the two come together. I knew I could control the man, in his pres- ent condition, but I didn’t want to excite him. “Take it easy,” I said soothingly. “There will be time enough for you to see her.” Whether he suspected my purpose or not, a dull anger began to gleam in his eyes. “‘See here!” he croaked belligerently. ce You—”’ He stopped abruptly, and his eyes swung past mine to the door while his whole body stiffened into listening. I had heard it, too, the dull thud that had broken in upon us; 2 sound that was neither loud nor un- . usual, but very different from the muffled drop of the breakers on the rocks. We both listened a moment longer. ‘““D’ ye hear that?” croaked the man triumphantly, “it’s him! ‘Petering the safe, he is!” . CHAPTER XX. A MEETING IN THE DARE. Y police-court newspaper experience stood me in good stead now, so I knew what he meant, and what a dull thud signified. Some one was down there blowing open the safe, after having tied it up in heavy coverlets to muffle the noise. Where was my uncle, and what was he. doing? I must get to him at once and help him. He had told me to watch this man, but he could do no special harm now, and I might be needed at once. I ran to the door, dragged aside the sofa and tugged at the handle: it turned, but the door did not open. I wrenched furiously at it, but it did not move. ‘The door had been locked from the outside, while I slept! I wasted several perfectly good minutes in an attack of rage on the door before I realized I couldn’t get out that way. It was far stouter than the one I had kicked in before, and there was nothing in the room heavy enough to act as a battering- ram. I heard a dry chuckle, and looked around to see my patient sitting on the SA THE OHIO STATE UNA ERE CE DOOKS-COMM