Argosy All-Story Weekly, Vol. 123, No. 3 — page 135: what you’re looking at

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

edge of the bed, shaking with an amholy mirth “'He’s too clever for you, he is,” he ‘cackled in the peculiar dry, thick voice of morphin. ‘ Locked ye'm and then petered the safe. But he’s forgot me. I'll show him!” His voice had changed to a furious snarl that promised ill for the “ Big Sw I imagined that some rivalry existed there, and that the man’s presence might not be altogether premeditated or even desired. I had little time to think of these things, however—I wanted to get out of the room and get out quickly. “‘ How far is it to the ground?” croaked the man as if he read my thoughts. I ran to the window and looked down. There was a sheer drop of at least thirty feet be- low, and no way out there. I was furious with my impotence; any- thing might be happening down-stairs, and _ here I was caged in this room. Suppose Shirley had slipped out while I slept and locked the door? me; I must get out somehow! Just below the window was a little ledge of ornamental stonework. I might manage to get enough foothold there and creep over to the window of the next room. What could I cling to—and what if the window were closed? I am a bad climber; great heights make me dizzy, and the thought of edging like a fly along this precarious foot- hold would have held me back absolutely, at another time. Now, however, I was so filled with the one thought of getting out of the room, that I lost all sense of fear. I got into my socks, trousers and sweater; I did not put on my shoes, for I needed my feet as second hands in this job. There ‘was an old bell-pull made of heavy cord hanging in the corner, kept more for sentiment than use, as the rusty wire to which it was attached showed. I needed something to hold to in case my feet slipped, and this was all I could see. It was ald, it might be rotten. I dragged it down, and finding it fairly strong, I knotted one end to the leg of the bed, which was close to the window, and with the other end in my hand slipped cau- tiously out on the window-sill. 9 f Digitized by Go ogle The thought tortured. 417 It must have been somewhere around five o’clock, for there was a faint gray light beginning to tinge the darkness, and the stars looked faded and unreal like revelers caught by early morning. As I looked down, a wave of nausea came over me, and for a moment I was tempted to go back. But something urged me on; I was not going to let Shirley see that I could be shut in so easily, like a troublesome boy. I gritted my teeth, and felt with my toes for the ledge below. | The man inside had staggered again to his feet and was watching me curiously, but I paid little attention to him. With my rope twisted around one wrist, I held on to the sill and felt for the shutters. As it was by their support that I intended to pass from one window to another, my suc- cess, possibly my life, depended upon whether they were strong enough to bear my weight; and—equally important— whether they were securely latched back. The man had swayed close to the rope, and I thought I read in his eyes an evil inten- tion. “Don’t touch that rope,” I yelled. “ If you do I'll come back and carve up your other ear.” ‘““You’ve got nerve,” he growled. “‘ Take my hand and steady yourself along.” He leaned far out the window, and I saw the sense of his offer. Steadied by his grip, I could go more quickly and farther, but would he play fair? I had to risk some- thing, so I tqok his horny hand, but not without misgivings, and bearing most_of my weight on the shutters. His grip was strong, however, and by its aid I reached safely the half of the distance. Here a greater difficulty confronted me; with both shutters open there would be a space between them of a foot or more, and this I had expected to pass by swinging myself from one shutter to another. Now, as I reached it, I saw to my dis- may that the shutter of the other window had swung to, leaving a space of at least thrée feet. There was only one way to reach it now; I must advance as far as I could, holding on to my shutter, and then make a spring for the remaining distance, trusting to get a hold on the other shutter. inal f STATE | | Keo) (7) DOO CO